4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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282 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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291 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
293 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
296 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
297 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
298 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
299 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
300 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
301 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
302 License'' in the Emacs manual.
304 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
305 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
306 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
308 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
309 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
310 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
311 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
319 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
321 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
322 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
324 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
325 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
326 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
327 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
328 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
329 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
330 License'' in the Emacs manual.
332 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
333 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
334 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
336 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
337 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
338 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
339 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
345 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
350 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
351 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
353 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
355 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
356 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
357 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
358 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
359 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
360 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
361 License'' in the Emacs manual.
363 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
364 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
365 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
367 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
368 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
369 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
370 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
379 @top The gnus Newsreader
383 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
384 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
385 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
388 T-gnus provides @sc{mime} features based on @sc{semi} API. So T-gnus
389 supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
390 other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
391 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
392 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
393 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
395 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
406 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
407 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
409 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
410 being accused of plagiarism:
412 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
413 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
414 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
415 can even read news with it!
417 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
418 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
419 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
420 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
421 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
427 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
428 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
429 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
430 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
431 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
432 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
433 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
434 * Various:: General purpose settings.
435 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
436 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
437 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
438 * Key Index:: Key Index.
440 Other related manuals
442 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
443 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
444 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
445 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
448 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
452 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
453 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
454 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
455 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
456 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
457 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
458 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
459 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
460 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
461 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
462 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
466 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
467 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
468 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
472 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
473 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
474 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
475 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
476 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
477 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
478 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
479 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
480 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
481 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
482 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
483 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
484 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
485 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
486 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
487 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
488 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
492 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
493 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
494 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
498 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
499 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
500 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
501 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
502 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
506 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
507 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
508 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
509 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
510 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
514 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
515 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
516 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
517 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
518 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
519 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
520 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
521 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
522 * Threading:: How threads are made.
523 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
524 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
525 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
526 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
527 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
528 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
529 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
530 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
531 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
532 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
533 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
534 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
535 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
536 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
537 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
538 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
539 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
540 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
541 or reselecting the current group.
542 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
543 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
544 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
545 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
547 Summary Buffer Format
549 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
550 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
551 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
552 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
556 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
557 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
559 Reply, Followup and Post
561 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
562 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
563 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
564 * Canceling and Superseding::
568 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
569 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
570 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
572 * Generic Marking Commands::
573 * Setting Process Marks::
577 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
578 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
579 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
583 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
584 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
586 Customizing Threading
588 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
589 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
590 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
591 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
595 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
596 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
597 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
598 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
599 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
600 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
604 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
605 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
606 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
610 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
611 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
612 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
613 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
614 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
615 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
616 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
617 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
618 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
619 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
621 Alternative Approaches
623 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
624 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
626 Various Summary Stuff
628 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
629 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
630 * Summary Generation Commands::
631 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
635 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
636 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
637 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
638 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
639 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
643 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
644 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
645 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
646 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
647 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
648 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
649 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
650 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
654 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
655 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
656 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
657 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
658 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
659 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
660 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
661 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
665 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
666 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
667 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
668 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
669 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
670 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
671 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
675 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
676 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
680 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
681 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
682 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
686 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
687 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
688 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
689 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
690 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
691 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
692 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
693 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
694 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
695 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
696 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
697 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
698 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
702 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
703 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
704 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
706 Choosing a Mail Back End
708 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
709 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
710 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
711 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
712 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
713 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
718 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
719 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
720 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
721 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
722 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
723 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
727 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
728 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
729 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
730 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
731 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
735 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
736 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
737 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
738 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
739 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
743 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
747 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
748 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
749 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
753 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
754 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
758 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
759 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
760 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
761 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
762 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
763 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
764 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
765 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
766 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
767 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
768 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
772 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
773 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
774 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
778 * Group Agent Commands::
779 * Summary Agent Commands::
780 * Server Agent Commands::
784 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
785 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
786 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
787 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
788 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
789 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
790 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
791 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
792 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
793 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
794 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
795 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
796 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
797 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
798 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
799 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
800 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
804 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
805 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
806 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
807 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
811 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
812 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
813 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
817 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
818 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
819 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
820 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
821 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
822 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
823 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
824 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
825 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
826 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
827 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
828 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
829 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
830 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
831 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
832 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
833 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
834 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
835 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
839 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
840 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
841 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
842 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
843 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
844 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
845 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
846 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
850 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
851 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
852 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
853 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
854 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
858 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
859 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
860 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
861 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
862 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
866 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
867 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
868 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
869 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
870 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
871 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
875 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
876 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
877 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
878 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
879 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
880 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
881 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
882 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
883 * Frequently Asked Questions::
887 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
888 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
889 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
890 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
891 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
892 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
893 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
894 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
895 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
899 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
900 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
901 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
902 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
903 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
907 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
908 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
909 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
910 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
914 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
915 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
916 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
917 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
918 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
919 * Group Info:: The group info format.
920 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
921 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
922 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
926 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
927 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
928 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
929 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
930 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
931 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
935 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
936 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
940 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
941 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
947 @chapter Starting gnus
952 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
953 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
956 @findex gnus-other-frame
957 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
958 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
959 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
961 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
962 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
963 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
965 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
966 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
969 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
970 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
971 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
972 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
973 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
974 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
975 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
976 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
977 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
978 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
979 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
983 @node Finding the News
984 @section Finding the News
987 @vindex gnus-select-method
989 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
990 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
991 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
992 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
995 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
996 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
999 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1002 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1005 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1008 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1009 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1010 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1012 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1014 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1015 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1016 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1017 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1018 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1019 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1021 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1022 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1023 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1024 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1026 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1027 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1028 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1029 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1030 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1031 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1032 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1033 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1034 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1037 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1039 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1040 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1041 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1042 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1043 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1044 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1046 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1048 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1049 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1050 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1051 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1052 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1053 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1056 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1057 you would typically set this variable to
1060 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1064 @node The First Time
1065 @section The First Time
1066 @cindex first time usage
1068 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1069 be subscribed by default.
1071 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1072 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1073 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1074 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1077 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1078 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1079 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1081 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1082 help you with most common problems.
1084 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1085 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1089 @node The Server is Down
1090 @section The Server is Down
1091 @cindex server errors
1093 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1094 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1095 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1097 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1098 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1099 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1100 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1101 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1102 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1103 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1105 @findex gnus-no-server
1106 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1108 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1109 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1110 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1111 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1112 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1113 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1114 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1118 @section Slave Gnusae
1121 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1122 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1123 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1124 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1126 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1127 @code{.newsrc} file.
1129 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1130 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1131 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1132 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1133 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1134 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1135 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1137 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1138 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1139 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1140 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1141 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1142 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1143 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1144 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1146 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1147 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1149 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1150 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1151 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1152 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1153 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1155 @node Fetching a Group
1156 @section Fetching a Group
1157 @cindex fetching a group
1159 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1160 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1161 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1162 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1163 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1164 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1170 @cindex subscription
1172 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1173 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1174 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1175 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1176 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1177 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1178 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1179 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1180 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1183 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1184 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1185 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1189 @node Checking New Groups
1190 @subsection Checking New Groups
1192 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1193 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1194 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1195 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1196 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1197 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1198 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1199 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1200 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1201 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1203 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1204 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1205 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1206 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1207 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1208 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1209 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1210 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1211 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1212 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1213 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1215 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1216 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1217 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1218 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1219 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1220 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1223 @node Subscription Methods
1224 @subsection Subscription Methods
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1227 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1228 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1230 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1231 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1233 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1239 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1240 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1241 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1245 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1246 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1248 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1250 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1254 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1255 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1256 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1257 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1258 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1259 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1260 up. Or something like that.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1264 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1265 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1266 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1268 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1269 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1270 Kill all new groups.
1272 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1273 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1274 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1275 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1276 topic parameter that looks like
1282 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1285 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1290 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1291 A closely related variable is
1292 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1293 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1294 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1295 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1298 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1299 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1300 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1301 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1304 @node Filtering New Groups
1305 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1307 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1308 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1309 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1312 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1315 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1316 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1317 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1318 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1319 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1320 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1321 subscribing these groups.
1322 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1323 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1325 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1326 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1327 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1328 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1329 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1330 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1331 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1332 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1334 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1335 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1336 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1337 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1338 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1339 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1340 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1341 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1342 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1343 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1346 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1347 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1350 @node Changing Servers
1351 @section Changing Servers
1352 @cindex changing servers
1354 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1355 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1356 very flaky and you want to use another.
1358 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1359 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1363 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1364 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1365 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1366 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1369 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1370 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1371 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1372 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1374 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1375 @findex gnus-change-server
1376 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1377 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1378 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1379 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1380 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1382 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1383 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1384 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1385 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1386 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1388 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1389 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1390 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1391 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1392 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1393 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1395 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1396 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1397 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1398 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1400 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1401 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1402 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1403 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1404 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1405 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1406 cache for all groups).
1410 @section Startup Files
1411 @cindex startup files
1416 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1417 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1419 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1420 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1421 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1422 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1423 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1424 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1425 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1427 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1428 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1429 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1430 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1431 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1432 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1434 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1435 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1436 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1437 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1438 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1439 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1440 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1441 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1442 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1443 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1445 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1446 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1447 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1448 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1449 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1450 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1451 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1452 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1453 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1454 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1455 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1456 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1458 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1459 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1460 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1461 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1463 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1464 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1465 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1466 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1467 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1468 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1469 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1470 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1471 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1472 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1475 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1476 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1478 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1479 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1482 @vindex gnus-init-file
1483 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1484 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1485 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1486 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1487 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1488 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1489 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1490 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1491 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1497 @cindex dribble file
1500 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1501 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1502 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1503 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1504 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1507 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1508 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1511 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1512 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1513 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1515 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1516 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1517 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1518 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1519 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1520 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1522 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1523 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1524 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1527 @node The Active File
1528 @section The Active File
1530 @cindex ignored groups
1532 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1533 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1534 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1536 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1537 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1538 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1539 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1540 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1541 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1542 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1545 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1546 @c if you set it to anything else.
1548 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1550 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1551 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1552 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1554 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1555 you actually subscribe to.
1557 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1558 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1559 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1560 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1562 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1563 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1564 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1565 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1566 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1567 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1569 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1570 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1571 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1574 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1575 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1576 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1577 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1578 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1579 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1581 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1582 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1584 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1585 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1587 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1588 secondary select methods.
1591 @node Startup Variables
1592 @section Startup Variables
1596 @item gnus-load-hook
1597 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1598 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1599 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1600 times you start gnus.
1602 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1604 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1606 @item gnus-startup-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1608 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1610 @item gnus-started-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1612 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1615 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1616 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1617 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1618 generating the group buffer.
1620 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1621 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1622 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1623 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1624 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1625 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1626 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1627 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1629 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1630 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1631 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1632 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1633 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1634 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1636 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1637 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1638 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1640 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1641 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1642 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1644 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1645 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1646 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1647 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1653 @chapter Group Buffer
1654 @cindex group buffer
1656 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1658 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1659 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1660 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1661 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1662 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1663 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1664 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1665 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1666 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1667 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1668 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1669 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1670 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1671 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1672 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1673 @c human rights at 9...
1676 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1677 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1678 long as gnus is active.
1682 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1683 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1684 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1685 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1686 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1687 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1688 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1689 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1695 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1696 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1697 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1698 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1699 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1700 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1701 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1702 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1703 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1704 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1705 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1706 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1707 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1708 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1709 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1710 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1711 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1715 @node Group Buffer Format
1716 @section Group Buffer Format
1719 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1720 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1721 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1725 @node Group Line Specification
1726 @subsection Group Line Specification
1727 @cindex group buffer format
1729 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1730 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1732 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1735 25: news.announce.newusers
1736 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1741 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1742 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1743 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1744 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1746 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1747 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1748 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1749 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1750 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1751 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1753 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1755 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1756 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1757 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1758 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1759 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1761 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1762 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1763 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1765 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1770 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1773 Whether the group is subscribed.
1776 Level of subscribedness.
1779 Number of unread articles.
1782 Number of dormant articles.
1785 Number of ticked articles.
1788 Number of read articles.
1791 Number of unseen articles.
1794 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1795 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1797 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1798 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1799 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1800 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1801 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1802 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1803 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1804 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1807 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1810 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1819 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1820 comment element in the group parameters.
1823 Newsgroup description.
1826 @samp{m} if moderated.
1829 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1835 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1841 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1845 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1848 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1849 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1850 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1851 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1852 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1855 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1857 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1861 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1864 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1868 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1869 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1870 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1871 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1872 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1873 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1878 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1879 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1880 group, or a bogus native group.
1883 @node Group Modeline Specification
1884 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1885 @cindex group modeline
1887 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1888 The mode line can be changed by setting
1889 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1890 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1894 The native news server.
1896 The native select method.
1900 @node Group Highlighting
1901 @subsection Group Highlighting
1902 @cindex highlighting
1903 @cindex group highlighting
1905 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1906 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1907 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1908 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1909 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1911 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1915 (cond (window-system
1916 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1917 (defface my-group-face-1
1918 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1919 (defface my-group-face-2
1920 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1921 (defface my-group-face-3
1922 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1923 (defface my-group-face-4
1924 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1925 (defface my-group-face-5
1926 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1928 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1929 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1930 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1931 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1932 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1933 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1936 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1938 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1945 The number of unread articles in the group.
1949 Whether the group is a mail group.
1951 The level of the group.
1953 The score of the group.
1955 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1957 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1958 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1960 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1961 topic being inserted.
1964 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1965 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1966 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1968 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1969 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1970 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1971 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1972 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1975 @node Group Maneuvering
1976 @section Group Maneuvering
1977 @cindex group movement
1979 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1980 expected, hopefully.
1986 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1987 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1988 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1994 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1995 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1996 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2001 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2005 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2006 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2010 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2011 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2012 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2017 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2018 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2021 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2027 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2028 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2029 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2034 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2035 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2036 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2040 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2041 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2042 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2045 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2046 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2047 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2048 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2052 @node Selecting a Group
2053 @section Selecting a Group
2054 @cindex group selection
2059 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2060 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2061 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2062 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2063 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2064 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2065 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2066 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2067 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2068 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2070 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2071 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2072 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2074 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2075 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2080 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2081 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2082 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2083 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2084 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2088 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2090 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2091 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2092 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2093 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2094 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2095 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2096 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2097 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2100 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2101 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2102 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2103 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2104 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2107 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2108 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2109 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2110 doing any processing of its contents
2111 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2112 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2113 manner will have no permanent effects.
2117 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2118 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2119 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2120 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2121 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2122 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2123 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2124 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2127 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2128 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2129 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2130 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2131 Which article this is is controlled by the
2132 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2138 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2141 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2144 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2146 @item unseen-or-unread
2147 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2148 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2152 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2156 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2157 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2159 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2160 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2161 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2162 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2166 @node Subscription Commands
2167 @section Subscription Commands
2168 @cindex subscription
2176 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2177 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2178 Toggle subscription to the current group
2179 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2185 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2186 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2187 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2188 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2194 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2195 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2196 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2202 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2203 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2206 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2207 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2208 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2209 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2210 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2216 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2217 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2221 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2222 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2225 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2226 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2227 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2228 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2229 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2230 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2231 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2232 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2233 @file{.newsrc} file.
2237 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2247 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2248 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2249 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2250 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2251 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2252 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2257 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2258 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2259 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2263 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2264 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2265 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2267 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2268 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2269 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2270 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2271 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2272 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2279 @section Group Levels
2283 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2284 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2285 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2286 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2287 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2289 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2295 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2296 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2297 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2298 prompted for a level.
2301 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2302 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2303 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2304 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2305 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2306 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2307 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2308 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2309 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2310 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2311 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2312 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2313 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2314 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2315 reasons of efficiency.
2317 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2318 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2320 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2321 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2322 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2323 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2324 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2325 groups are hidden, in a way.
2327 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2328 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2329 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2330 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2331 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2332 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2334 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2335 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2336 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2337 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2338 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2339 list of killed groups.)
2341 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2342 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2343 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2345 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2346 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2347 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2348 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2349 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2350 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2351 relevant valid ranges.
2353 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2354 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2355 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2356 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2357 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2358 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2361 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2362 one with the best level.
2364 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2365 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2366 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2369 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2370 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2371 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2372 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2375 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2376 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2377 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2378 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2380 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2381 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2382 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2383 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2384 to 5. The default is 6.
2388 @section Group Score
2393 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2394 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2395 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2398 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2399 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2400 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2401 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2402 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2403 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2404 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2405 least significant part.))
2407 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2408 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2409 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2410 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2411 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2412 action after each summary exit, you can add
2413 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2414 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2415 slow things down somewhat.
2418 @node Marking Groups
2419 @section Marking Groups
2420 @cindex marking groups
2422 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2423 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2424 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2425 bidding on those groups.
2427 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2428 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2429 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2437 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2438 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2444 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2445 Remove the mark from the current group
2446 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2450 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2451 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2455 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2456 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2460 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2461 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2465 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2466 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2467 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2470 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2472 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2473 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2474 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2475 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2476 the command to be executed.
2479 @node Foreign Groups
2480 @section Foreign Groups
2481 @cindex foreign groups
2483 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2484 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2485 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2486 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2493 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2494 @cindex making groups
2495 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2496 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2497 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2501 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2502 @cindex renaming groups
2503 Rename the current group to something else
2504 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2505 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2511 @findex gnus-group-customize
2512 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2517 @cindex renaming groups
2518 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2519 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2523 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2524 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2525 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2529 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2530 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2531 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2535 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2537 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2538 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2543 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2544 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2548 @cindex (ding) archive
2549 @cindex archive group
2550 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2551 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2552 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2553 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2554 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2555 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2556 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2560 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2562 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2563 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2564 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2565 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2569 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2571 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2572 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2573 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2577 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2578 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2580 Make a group based on some file or other
2581 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2582 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2583 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2584 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2585 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2586 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2587 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2588 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2589 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2593 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2594 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2595 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2596 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2600 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2604 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2605 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2606 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2607 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2608 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2609 @xref{Web Searches}.
2611 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2612 to a particular group by using a match string like
2613 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2616 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2617 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2618 This function will delete the current group
2619 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2620 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2621 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2622 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2623 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2627 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2628 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2629 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2633 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2634 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2635 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2638 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2641 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2642 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2643 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2644 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2645 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2646 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2650 @node Group Parameters
2651 @section Group Parameters
2652 @cindex group parameters
2654 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2655 Here's an example group parameter list:
2658 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2662 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2663 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2664 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2665 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2667 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2668 is an alist of regexps and values.
2670 The following group parameters can be used:
2675 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2678 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2681 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2682 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2683 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2684 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2685 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2687 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2688 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2689 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2690 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2691 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2692 list address instead.
2694 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2698 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2701 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2704 It is totally ignored
2705 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2706 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2708 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2709 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2710 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2711 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2712 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2714 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2715 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2716 sending the message.
2718 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2719 @cindex Mail List Groups
2720 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2721 entering summary buffer.
2723 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2728 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2729 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2730 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2731 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2732 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2733 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2735 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2736 directly uses this group parameter.
2740 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2741 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2742 of whether it has any unread articles.
2744 @item broken-reply-to
2745 @cindex broken-reply-to
2746 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2747 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2748 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2749 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2750 broken behavior. So there!
2754 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2755 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2759 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2760 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2761 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2766 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2767 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2768 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2769 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2770 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2771 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2772 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2773 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2774 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2778 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2779 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2780 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2782 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2785 @cindex total-expire
2786 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2787 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2788 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2789 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2792 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2796 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2797 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2798 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2799 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2800 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2801 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2802 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2805 @cindex score file group parameter
2806 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2807 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2808 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2811 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2812 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2813 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2814 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2817 @cindex admin-address
2818 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2819 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2820 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2821 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2825 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2826 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2830 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2833 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2834 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2837 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2841 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2843 Here are some examples:
2847 Display only unread articles.
2850 Display everything except expirable articles.
2852 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2853 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2857 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2858 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2859 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2860 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2861 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2865 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2866 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2867 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2871 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2872 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2873 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2877 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2878 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2879 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2881 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2883 @item ignored-charsets
2884 @cindex ignored-charset
2885 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2886 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2887 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2889 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2892 @cindex posting-style
2893 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2894 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2895 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2896 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2897 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2899 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2900 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2901 like this in the group parameters:
2906 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2907 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2912 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2913 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2917 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2918 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2919 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2920 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2921 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2925 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2926 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2927 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2928 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2930 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2931 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2932 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2933 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2936 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2937 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2941 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2944 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2945 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2946 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2947 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2948 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2949 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2950 @code{eval}ed there.
2952 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2953 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2954 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2955 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2956 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2957 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2958 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2959 parameters for the group.
2962 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2963 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2964 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2965 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2966 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2970 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2971 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2972 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2973 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2974 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2976 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2977 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2981 (setq gnus-parameters
2983 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2984 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2985 (gnus-summary-line-format
2986 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2990 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2994 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2998 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3001 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3002 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3005 @node Listing Groups
3006 @section Listing Groups
3007 @cindex group listing
3009 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3017 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3018 List all groups that have unread articles
3019 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3020 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3021 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3022 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3029 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3030 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3031 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3032 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3033 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3034 unsubscribed groups).
3038 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3039 List all unread groups on a specific level
3040 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3041 with no unread articles.
3045 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3046 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3047 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3048 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3053 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3054 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3058 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3059 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3060 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3064 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3065 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3069 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3070 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3071 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3072 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3073 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3074 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3075 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3076 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3080 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3081 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3082 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3086 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3087 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3088 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3092 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3093 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3097 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3098 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3102 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3103 List groups limited within the current selection
3104 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3108 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3109 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3113 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3114 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3118 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3119 @cindex visible group parameter
3120 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3121 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3122 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3123 get the same effect.
3125 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3126 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3127 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3128 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3129 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3132 @node Sorting Groups
3133 @section Sorting Groups
3134 @cindex sorting groups
3136 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3137 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3138 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3139 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3140 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3141 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3146 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3147 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3148 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3150 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3151 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3152 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3154 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3155 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3156 Sort by group level.
3158 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3159 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3160 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3162 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3163 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3164 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3165 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3167 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3168 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3169 Sort by number of unread articles.
3171 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3172 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3173 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3175 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3176 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3177 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3182 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3183 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3187 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3188 some sorting criteria:
3192 @kindex G S a (Group)
3193 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3194 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3195 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3198 @kindex G S u (Group)
3199 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3200 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3201 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3204 @kindex G S l (Group)
3205 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3206 Sort the group buffer by group level
3207 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3210 @kindex G S v (Group)
3211 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3212 Sort the group buffer by group score
3213 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3216 @kindex G S r (Group)
3217 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3218 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3219 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3222 @kindex G S m (Group)
3223 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3224 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3225 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3228 @kindex G S n (Group)
3229 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3230 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3231 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3235 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3236 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3238 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3239 commands will sort in reverse order.
3241 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3245 @kindex G P a (Group)
3246 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3247 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3248 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3251 @kindex G P u (Group)
3252 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3253 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3254 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3257 @kindex G P l (Group)
3258 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3259 Sort the groups by group level
3260 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3263 @kindex G P v (Group)
3264 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3265 Sort the groups by group score
3266 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3269 @kindex G P r (Group)
3270 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3271 Sort the groups by group rank
3272 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3275 @kindex G P m (Group)
3276 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3277 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3278 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3281 @kindex G P n (Group)
3282 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3283 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3284 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3287 @kindex G P s (Group)
3288 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3289 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3293 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3297 @node Group Maintenance
3298 @section Group Maintenance
3299 @cindex bogus groups
3304 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3305 Find bogus groups and delete them
3306 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3310 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3311 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3312 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3313 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3314 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3318 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3319 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3320 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3321 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3322 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3323 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3326 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3327 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3328 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3329 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3334 @node Browse Foreign Server
3335 @section Browse Foreign Server
3336 @cindex foreign servers
3337 @cindex browsing servers
3342 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3343 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3344 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3345 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3348 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3349 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3350 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3351 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3353 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3358 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3359 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3363 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3364 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3367 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3368 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3369 Enter the current group and display the first article
3370 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3373 @kindex RET (Browse)
3374 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3375 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3379 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3380 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3381 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3387 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3388 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3392 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3393 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3397 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3398 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3399 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3404 @section Exiting gnus
3405 @cindex exiting gnus
3407 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3412 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3413 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3414 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3415 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3419 @findex gnus-group-exit
3420 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3421 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3425 @findex gnus-group-quit
3426 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3427 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3430 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3431 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3432 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3433 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3434 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3439 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3440 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3441 trying to customize meta-variables.
3446 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3447 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3448 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3454 @section Group Topics
3457 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3458 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3459 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3460 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3461 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3462 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3466 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3467 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3478 2: alt.religion.emacs
3481 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3483 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3484 13: comp.sources.unix
3487 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3489 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3490 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3491 is a toggling command.)
3493 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3494 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3495 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3496 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3499 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3500 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3501 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3504 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3508 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3509 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3510 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3511 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3512 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3516 @node Topic Commands
3517 @subsection Topic Commands
3518 @cindex topic commands
3520 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3521 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3522 definitions slightly.
3524 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3525 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3526 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3527 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3528 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3529 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3531 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3538 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3539 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3540 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3544 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3546 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3547 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3548 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3549 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3552 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3553 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3554 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3555 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3559 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3560 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3561 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3562 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3568 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3569 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3570 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3574 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3575 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3576 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3579 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3580 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3581 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3582 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3583 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3585 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3586 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3590 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3591 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3598 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3600 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3601 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3602 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3603 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3604 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3605 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3609 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3615 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3616 Move the current group to some other topic
3617 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3618 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3622 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3623 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3627 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3628 Copy the current group to some other topic
3629 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3630 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3634 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3635 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3636 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3640 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3641 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3642 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3646 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3647 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3648 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3649 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3650 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3651 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3652 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3655 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3656 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3660 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3661 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3662 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3666 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3667 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3668 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3672 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3673 Toggle hiding empty topics
3674 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3678 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3679 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3680 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3683 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3685 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3686 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3689 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3690 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3691 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3692 expiry process (if any)
3693 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3697 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3698 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3701 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3702 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3703 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3707 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3708 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3709 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3712 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3713 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3714 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3717 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3718 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3719 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3723 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3724 @cindex group parameters
3725 @cindex topic parameters
3727 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3728 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3733 @node Topic Variables
3734 @subsection Topic Variables
3735 @cindex topic variables
3737 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3738 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3740 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3741 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3742 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3755 Number of groups in the topic.
3757 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3759 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3762 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3763 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3764 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3767 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3768 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3770 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3771 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3772 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3776 @subsection Topic Sorting
3777 @cindex topic sorting
3779 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3785 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3786 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3787 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3788 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3791 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3792 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3793 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3794 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3797 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3798 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3799 Sort the current topic by group level
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3803 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3804 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3805 Sort the current topic by group score
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3809 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3811 Sort the current topic by group rank
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3815 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3816 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3817 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3821 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3822 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3823 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3824 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3828 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3829 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3830 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3831 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3835 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3836 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3840 @node Topic Topology
3841 @subsection Topic Topology
3842 @cindex topic topology
3845 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3851 2: alt.religion.emacs
3854 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3856 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3857 13: comp.sources.unix
3860 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3861 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3862 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3867 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3868 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3872 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3873 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3874 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3875 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3876 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3877 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3879 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3880 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3881 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3884 @node Topic Parameters
3885 @subsection Topic Parameters
3886 @cindex topic parameters
3888 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3889 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3890 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3892 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3897 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3898 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3899 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3902 @item subscribe-level
3903 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3904 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3905 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3909 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3910 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3911 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3912 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3918 2: alt.religion.emacs
3922 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3924 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3925 13: comp.sources.unix
3929 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3930 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3931 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3932 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3933 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3934 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3936 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3937 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3938 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3939 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3940 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3942 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3943 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3944 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3945 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3946 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3947 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3948 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3949 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3952 @node Misc Group Stuff
3953 @section Misc Group Stuff
3956 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3957 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3958 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3959 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3960 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3967 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3968 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3969 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3973 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3974 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3975 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3976 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3977 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3978 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3979 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3983 @findex gnus-group-mail
3984 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3985 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3986 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3987 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3991 @findex gnus-group-news
3992 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3993 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3994 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3996 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3997 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3998 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3999 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4000 for this to work though.
4004 Variables for the group buffer:
4008 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4009 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4010 is called after the group buffer has been
4013 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4014 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4015 is called after the group buffer is
4016 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4019 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4020 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4021 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4022 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4024 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4025 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4026 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4027 whether they are empty or not.
4029 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4030 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4031 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4032 non-ASCII group names.
4036 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4037 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4040 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4041 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4042 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4043 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4044 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4045 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4049 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4050 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4055 @node Scanning New Messages
4056 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4057 @cindex new messages
4058 @cindex scanning new news
4064 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4065 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4066 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4067 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4068 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4069 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4074 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4075 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4076 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4077 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4078 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4079 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4080 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4082 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4083 @cindex activating groups
4085 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4086 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4091 @findex gnus-group-restart
4092 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4093 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4094 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4098 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4099 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4101 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4102 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4106 @node Group Information
4107 @subsection Group Information
4108 @cindex group information
4109 @cindex information on groups
4116 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4117 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4120 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4121 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4122 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4123 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4124 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4125 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4126 for fetching the file.
4128 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4129 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4133 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4134 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4136 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4137 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4140 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4141 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4142 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4146 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4147 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4148 @cindex control message
4149 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4150 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4151 group if given a prefix argument.
4153 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4154 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4155 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4158 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4159 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4160 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4164 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4166 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4167 @cindex describing groups
4168 @cindex group description
4169 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4170 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4171 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4175 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4176 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4177 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4184 @findex gnus-version
4185 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4189 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4190 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4193 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4196 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4197 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4201 @node Group Timestamp
4202 @subsection Group Timestamp
4204 @cindex group timestamps
4206 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4207 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4208 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4211 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4214 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4216 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4217 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4220 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4221 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4224 This will result in lines looking like:
4227 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4228 0: custom 19961002T012713
4231 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4232 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4236 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4237 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4240 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4241 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4245 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4246 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4247 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4248 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4250 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4256 @subsection File Commands
4257 @cindex file commands
4263 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4264 @vindex gnus-init-file
4265 @cindex reading init file
4266 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4267 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4271 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4272 @cindex saving .newsrc
4273 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4274 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4275 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4278 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4279 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4280 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4285 @node Sieve Commands
4286 @subsection Sieve Commands
4287 @cindex group sieve commands
4289 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4290 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4291 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4292 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4293 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4295 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4296 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4297 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4298 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4299 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4300 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4301 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4302 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4303 regenerate the Sieve script.
4305 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4306 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4307 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4308 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4309 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4310 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4311 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4312 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4313 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4314 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4317 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4318 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4323 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4329 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4330 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4331 @cindex generating sieve script
4332 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4333 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4337 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4338 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4339 @cindex updating sieve script
4340 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4341 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4342 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4347 @node Summary Buffer
4348 @chapter Summary Buffer
4349 @cindex summary buffer
4351 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4352 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4354 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4355 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4357 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4360 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4361 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4362 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4363 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4364 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4365 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4366 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4367 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4368 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4369 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4370 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4371 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4372 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4373 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4374 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4375 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4376 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4377 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4378 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4379 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4380 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4381 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4382 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4383 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4384 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4385 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4386 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4387 or reselecting the current group.
4388 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4389 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4390 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4391 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4395 @node Summary Buffer Format
4396 @section Summary Buffer Format
4397 @cindex summary buffer format
4401 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4402 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4403 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4409 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4410 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4411 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4412 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4415 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4416 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4417 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4418 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4419 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4420 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4421 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4422 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4423 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4424 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4425 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4426 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4427 other function instead:
4430 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4431 'mail-extract-address-components)
4434 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4435 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4436 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4437 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4440 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4441 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4443 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4444 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4445 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4446 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4447 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4449 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4450 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4451 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4452 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4453 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4454 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4456 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4458 The following format specification characters and extended format
4459 specification(s) are understood:
4465 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4466 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4468 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4469 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4470 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4472 Full @code{From} header.
4474 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4476 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4479 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4480 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4481 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4482 may be more thorough.
4484 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4487 Number of lines in the article.
4489 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4490 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4492 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4493 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4495 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4497 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4500 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4501 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4503 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4504 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4506 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4507 for adopted articles.
4509 One space for each thread level.
4511 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4513 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4516 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4517 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4518 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4521 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4523 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4524 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4525 default level. If the difference between
4526 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4527 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4535 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4537 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4543 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4544 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4546 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4547 article has any children.
4553 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4554 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4556 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4557 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4558 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4559 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4560 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4561 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4564 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4565 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4566 There can only be one such area.
4568 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4569 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4570 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4571 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4572 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4573 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4575 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4576 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4578 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4581 @node To From Newsgroups
4582 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4586 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4587 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4588 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4589 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4590 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4594 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4595 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4596 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4600 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4601 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4604 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4605 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4608 @findex gnus-extra-header
4609 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4610 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4611 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4614 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4618 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4619 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4620 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4621 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4622 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4623 headers are used instead.
4627 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4628 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4629 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4630 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4631 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4632 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4634 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4635 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4636 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4637 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4639 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4643 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4645 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4646 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4647 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4648 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4652 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4655 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4656 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4659 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4660 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4661 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4667 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4668 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4671 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4672 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4674 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4675 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4676 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4677 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4679 Here are the elements you can play with:
4685 Unprefixed group name.
4687 Current article number.
4689 Current article score.
4693 Number of unread articles in this group.
4695 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4698 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4699 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4700 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4701 and no unselected ones.
4703 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4704 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4706 Subject of the current article.
4708 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4710 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4712 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4714 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4716 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4718 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4722 @node Summary Highlighting
4723 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4727 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4728 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4729 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4730 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4731 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4733 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4734 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4735 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4736 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4738 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4739 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4740 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4741 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4743 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4744 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4745 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4746 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4747 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4748 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4751 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4752 ((> score default) . bold))
4754 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4755 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4759 @node Summary Maneuvering
4760 @section Summary Maneuvering
4761 @cindex summary movement
4763 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4764 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4766 None of these commands select articles.
4771 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4772 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4773 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4774 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4775 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4779 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4780 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4781 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4782 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4783 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4786 @kindex G g (Summary)
4787 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4788 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4789 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4792 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4793 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4794 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4795 to the group buffer.
4797 Variables related to summary movement:
4801 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4802 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4803 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4804 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4805 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4806 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4807 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4808 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4809 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4810 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4811 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4812 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4813 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4814 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4816 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4817 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4818 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4819 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4820 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4821 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4822 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4824 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4826 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4827 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4828 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4829 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4830 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4832 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4833 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4834 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4835 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4836 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4837 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4838 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4839 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4842 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4843 the given number of lines from the top.
4848 @node Choosing Articles
4849 @section Choosing Articles
4850 @cindex selecting articles
4853 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4854 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4858 @node Choosing Commands
4859 @subsection Choosing Commands
4861 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4862 and they all select and display an article.
4864 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4865 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4869 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4870 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4871 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4872 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4877 @kindex G n (Summary)
4878 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4879 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4880 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4885 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4886 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4887 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4892 @kindex G N (Summary)
4893 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4894 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4899 @kindex G P (Summary)
4900 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4901 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4904 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4905 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4906 Go to the next article with the same subject
4907 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4910 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4912 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4913 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4917 @kindex G f (Summary)
4919 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4920 Go to the first unread article
4921 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4925 @kindex G b (Summary)
4927 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4928 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4929 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4930 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4935 @kindex G l (Summary)
4936 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4937 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4940 @kindex G o (Summary)
4941 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4943 @cindex article history
4944 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4945 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4946 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4947 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4948 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4949 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4954 @kindex G j (Summary)
4955 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4956 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4957 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4962 @node Choosing Variables
4963 @subsection Choosing Variables
4965 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4968 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4969 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4970 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4971 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4972 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4973 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4975 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4976 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4977 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4978 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you wish
4979 that the Agent saves all articles you read, putting
4980 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook should do it.
4982 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4983 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4984 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4985 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4986 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4987 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4988 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4989 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4990 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4991 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4992 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4993 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4994 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4995 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5000 @node Paging the Article
5001 @section Scrolling the Article
5002 @cindex article scrolling
5007 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5009 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5010 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5011 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5014 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5015 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5016 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5019 @kindex RET (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5021 Scroll the current article one line forward
5022 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5025 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5026 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5027 Scroll the current article one line backward
5028 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5032 @kindex A g (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5035 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5036 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5037 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5038 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5039 the way it came from the server.
5041 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5042 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5043 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5046 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5051 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5056 @kindex A < (Summary)
5057 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5058 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5059 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5064 @kindex A > (Summary)
5065 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5066 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5070 @kindex A s (Summary)
5072 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5073 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5074 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5078 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5079 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5084 @node Reply Followup and Post
5085 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5088 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5089 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5090 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5091 * Canceling and Superseding::
5095 @node Summary Mail Commands
5096 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5098 @cindex composing mail
5100 Commands for composing a mail message:
5106 @kindex S r (Summary)
5108 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5109 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5110 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5111 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5112 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5117 @kindex S R (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5119 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5120 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5121 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5122 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5125 @kindex S w (Summary)
5126 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5127 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5128 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5129 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5130 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5133 @kindex S W (Summary)
5134 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5135 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5136 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5137 the process/prefix convention.
5140 @kindex S v (Summary)
5141 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5142 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5143 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5144 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5145 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5146 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5149 @kindex S V (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5151 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5152 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5153 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5156 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5157 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5158 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5159 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5162 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5164 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5165 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5166 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5170 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5171 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5172 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5173 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5174 Forward the current article to some other person
5175 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5176 headers of the forwarded article.
5181 @kindex S m (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5183 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5184 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5185 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5186 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5191 @kindex S i (Summary)
5192 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5193 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5194 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5195 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5197 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5198 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5199 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5200 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5201 for this to work though.
5204 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5206 @cindex bouncing mail
5207 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5208 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5209 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5210 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5211 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5212 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5213 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5214 very well fail, though.
5217 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5218 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5219 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5220 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5221 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5222 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5223 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5224 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5225 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5226 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5228 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5229 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5230 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5231 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5232 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5234 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5235 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5238 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5239 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5240 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5241 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5242 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5245 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5246 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5247 @cindex crossposting
5248 @cindex excessive crossposting
5249 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5250 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5252 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5253 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5254 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5255 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5256 command understands the process/prefix convention
5257 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5261 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5262 Manual}, for more information.
5265 @node Summary Post Commands
5266 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5268 @cindex composing news
5270 Commands for posting a news article:
5276 @kindex S p (Summary)
5277 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5278 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5279 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5280 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5281 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5286 @kindex S f (Summary)
5287 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5288 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5289 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5293 @kindex S F (Summary)
5295 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5296 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5297 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5298 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5299 process/prefix convention.
5302 @kindex S n (Summary)
5303 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5304 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5305 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5308 @kindex S N (Summary)
5309 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5310 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5311 message through mail and include the original message
5312 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5313 the process/prefix convention.
5316 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5317 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5318 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5319 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5320 headers of the forwarded article.
5323 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5326 @cindex making digests
5327 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5328 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5329 process/prefix convention.
5332 @kindex S u (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5334 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5335 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5336 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5339 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5340 Manual}, for more information.
5343 @node Summary Message Commands
5344 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5348 @kindex S y (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5350 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5351 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5352 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5353 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5358 @node Canceling and Superseding
5359 @subsection Canceling Articles
5360 @cindex canceling articles
5361 @cindex superseding articles
5363 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5364 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5366 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5368 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5370 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5371 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5372 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5373 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5374 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5375 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5377 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5378 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5381 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5382 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5383 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5385 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5386 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5387 your original article.
5389 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5391 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5392 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5393 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5396 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5397 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5398 have posted almost the same article twice.
5400 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5401 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5402 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5403 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5404 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5405 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5406 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5407 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5408 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5409 canceled/superseded.
5411 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5413 @node Delayed Articles
5414 @section Delayed Articles
5415 @cindex delayed sending
5416 @cindex send delayed
5418 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5419 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5420 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5421 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5424 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5427 @findex gnus-delay-article
5428 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5429 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5430 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5431 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5435 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5436 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5437 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5438 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5441 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5442 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5443 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5446 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5447 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5448 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5449 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5450 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5451 that means a time tomorrow.
5454 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5455 couple of variables:
5458 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5459 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5460 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5461 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5463 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5464 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5465 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5466 formats described above.
5468 @item gnus-delay-group
5469 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5470 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5471 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5472 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5474 @item gnus-delay-header
5475 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5476 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5477 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5478 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5481 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5482 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5483 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5484 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5485 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5487 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5488 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5489 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5490 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5491 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5492 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5495 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5496 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5498 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5499 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5500 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-nil,
5501 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5502 argument is ignored.
5504 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5505 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5506 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5510 @node Marking Articles
5511 @section Marking Articles
5512 @cindex article marking
5513 @cindex article ticking
5516 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5518 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5519 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5520 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5522 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5525 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5526 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5527 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5531 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5535 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5536 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5537 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5541 @node Unread Articles
5542 @subsection Unread Articles
5544 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5549 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5550 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5552 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5553 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5554 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5555 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5556 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5557 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5558 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5561 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5562 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5564 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5565 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5566 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5567 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5571 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5572 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5574 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5579 @subsection Read Articles
5580 @cindex expirable mark
5582 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5587 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5588 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5589 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5592 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5593 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5596 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5597 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5598 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5601 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5602 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5605 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5606 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5609 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5610 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5613 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5614 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5617 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5618 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5621 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5622 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5625 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5626 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5630 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5631 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5632 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5636 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5637 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5639 One more special mark, though:
5643 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5644 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5646 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5647 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5648 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5649 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5655 @subsection Other Marks
5656 @cindex process mark
5659 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5665 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5666 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5667 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5668 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5669 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5672 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5673 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5674 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5675 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5678 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5679 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5680 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5683 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5684 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5685 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5688 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5689 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5690 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5691 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5694 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5695 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5696 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5697 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5698 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5699 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5702 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5703 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5704 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5705 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5708 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5709 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might not
5710 have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you are
5711 offline (unplugged). These articles get the @samp{@@} mark in the
5712 first column. (The variable @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls
5713 which character to use.)
5716 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5717 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5718 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5719 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5720 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5721 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5725 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5726 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5727 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5728 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5729 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5732 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5733 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5734 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5735 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5736 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5737 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5741 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5742 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5743 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5745 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5746 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5747 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5751 @subsection Setting Marks
5752 @cindex setting marks
5754 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5759 @kindex M c (Summary)
5760 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5761 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5762 @cindex mark as unread
5763 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5764 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5770 @kindex M t (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5772 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5773 @xref{Article Caching}.
5778 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5779 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5780 Mark the current article as dormant
5781 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5785 @kindex M d (Summary)
5787 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5788 Mark the current article as read
5789 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5793 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5794 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5795 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5800 @kindex M k (Summary)
5801 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5802 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5803 and then select the next unread article
5804 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5808 @kindex M K (Summary)
5809 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5810 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5811 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5812 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5815 @kindex M C (Summary)
5816 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5817 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5818 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5821 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5822 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5823 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5824 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5827 @kindex M H (Summary)
5828 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5829 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5830 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5833 @kindex M h (Summary)
5834 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5835 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5836 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5839 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5840 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5841 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5842 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5845 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5846 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5847 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5848 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5852 @kindex M e (Summary)
5854 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5855 Mark the current article as expirable
5856 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5859 @kindex M b (Summary)
5860 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5861 Set a bookmark in the current article
5862 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5865 @kindex M B (Summary)
5866 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5867 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5868 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5871 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5872 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5873 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5874 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5877 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5878 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5879 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5880 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5883 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5884 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5885 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5886 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5887 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5890 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5891 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5892 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5893 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5894 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5895 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5896 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5897 The default is @code{t}.
5900 @node Generic Marking Commands
5901 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5903 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5904 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5905 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5906 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5907 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5910 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5911 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5914 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5915 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5916 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5917 to list in this manual.
5919 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5920 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5921 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5922 article, you could say something like:
5925 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5926 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5927 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5933 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5934 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5938 @node Setting Process Marks
5939 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5940 @cindex setting process marks
5942 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
5943 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
5944 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
5945 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
5946 commands into the cache. For more information,
5947 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
5954 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5956 Mark the current article with the process mark
5957 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5958 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5962 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5963 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5964 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5968 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5970 Remove the process mark from all articles
5971 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5974 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5976 Invert the list of process marked articles
5977 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5980 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5982 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5983 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5986 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5988 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5989 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5992 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5994 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5998 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5999 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6002 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6003 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6004 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6005 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6008 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6009 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6010 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6011 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6014 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6016 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6017 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6020 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6021 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6022 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6025 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6026 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6027 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6028 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6031 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6033 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6036 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6037 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6038 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6039 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6042 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6044 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6045 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6048 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6050 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6051 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6054 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6056 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6057 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6061 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6062 set process marks based on article body contents.
6069 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6070 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6071 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6074 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6075 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6076 additional articles.
6082 @kindex / / (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6084 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6085 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6089 @kindex / a (Summary)
6090 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6091 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6092 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6096 @kindex / x (Summary)
6097 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6098 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6099 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6100 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6105 @kindex / u (Summary)
6107 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6108 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6109 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6110 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6111 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6114 @kindex / m (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6116 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6117 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6120 @kindex / t (Summary)
6121 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6122 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6123 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6124 articles younger than that number of days.
6127 @kindex / n (Summary)
6128 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6129 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6130 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6131 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6134 @kindex / w (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6136 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6137 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6141 @kindex / . (Summary)
6142 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6143 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6144 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6147 @kindex / v (Summary)
6148 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6149 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6150 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6153 @kindex / p (Summary)
6154 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6155 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6156 group parameter predicate
6157 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6158 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6162 @kindex M S (Summary)
6163 @kindex / E (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6165 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6166 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6169 @kindex / D (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6171 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6172 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6175 @kindex / * (Summary)
6176 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6177 Include all cached articles in the limit
6178 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6181 @kindex / d (Summary)
6182 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6183 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6184 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6187 @kindex / M (Summary)
6188 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6189 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6192 @kindex / T (Summary)
6193 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6194 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6197 @kindex / c (Summary)
6198 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6199 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6200 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6203 @kindex / C (Summary)
6204 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6205 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6206 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6207 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6210 @kindex / N (Summary)
6211 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6212 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6213 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6216 @kindex / o (Summary)
6217 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6218 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6219 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6227 @cindex article threading
6229 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6230 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6231 hierarchical fashion.
6233 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6234 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6235 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6236 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6237 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6238 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6239 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6241 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6245 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6248 A tree-like article structure.
6251 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6254 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6255 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6256 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6257 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6258 called loose threads.
6260 @item thread gathering
6261 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6263 @item sparse threads
6264 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6265 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6271 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6272 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6276 @node Customizing Threading
6277 @subsection Customizing Threading
6278 @cindex customizing threading
6281 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6282 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6283 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6284 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6289 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6292 @cindex loose threads
6295 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6296 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6297 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6298 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6299 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6300 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6302 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6303 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6304 There are four possible values:
6308 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6309 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6310 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6311 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6312 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6317 @cindex adopting articles
6322 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6323 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6324 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6325 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6328 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6329 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6330 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6331 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6332 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6333 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6334 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6335 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6336 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6337 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to t.
6340 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6341 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6342 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6346 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6347 display them after one another.
6350 Don't gather loose threads.
6353 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6354 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6355 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6356 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6357 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6358 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6359 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6360 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6361 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6362 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6363 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6365 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6366 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6367 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6370 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6371 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6372 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6373 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6374 simplification is used.
6376 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6377 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6378 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6379 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6381 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6383 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6389 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6390 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6391 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6392 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6397 (mapconcat 'identity
6398 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6400 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6403 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6406 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6407 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6408 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6409 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6410 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6411 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6413 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6416 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6417 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6418 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6420 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6421 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6424 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6425 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6426 Remove excessive whitespace.
6428 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6429 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6430 Remove all whitespace.
6433 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6436 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6437 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6438 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6439 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6440 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6441 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6442 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6443 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6445 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6446 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6447 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6448 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6449 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6450 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6451 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6452 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6453 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6457 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6458 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6459 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6460 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6462 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6463 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6464 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6467 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6471 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6472 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6478 @node Filling In Threads
6479 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6482 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6483 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6484 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6485 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6486 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6487 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6488 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6489 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6490 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6491 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6492 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6493 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6496 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6497 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6498 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6500 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6501 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6502 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6503 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6504 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6505 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6506 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6507 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6508 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6509 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6510 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6511 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6512 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6513 @code{nil} by default.
6515 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6516 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6517 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6518 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6519 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6520 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6521 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6523 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6524 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6525 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6530 @node More Threading
6531 @subsubsection More Threading
6534 @item gnus-show-threads
6535 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6536 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6537 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6538 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6539 slower and more awkward.
6541 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6542 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6543 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6546 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6547 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6548 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6553 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6554 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6555 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6558 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6559 unread, but you get my drift.)
6562 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6563 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6564 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6565 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6566 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6567 threads are expunged.
6569 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6570 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6571 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6574 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6575 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6576 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6577 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6578 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6579 result in a new thread.
6581 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6582 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6583 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6586 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6587 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6588 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6589 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6590 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6591 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6592 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6593 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6594 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6595 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6596 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6601 @node Low-Level Threading
6602 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6606 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6607 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6608 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6609 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6610 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6611 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6613 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6614 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6615 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6616 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6617 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6618 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6619 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6620 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6621 meaningful. Here's one example:
6624 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6626 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6627 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6629 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6631 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6638 @node Thread Commands
6639 @subsection Thread Commands
6640 @cindex thread commands
6646 @kindex T k (Summary)
6647 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6648 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6649 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6650 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6651 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6656 @kindex T l (Summary)
6657 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6658 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6659 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6660 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6663 @kindex T i (Summary)
6664 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6665 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6666 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6669 @kindex T # (Summary)
6670 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6671 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6672 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6675 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6676 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6677 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6678 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6681 @kindex T T (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6683 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6686 @kindex T s (Summary)
6687 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6688 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6689 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6692 @kindex T h (Summary)
6693 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6694 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6697 @kindex T S (Summary)
6698 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6699 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6702 @kindex T H (Summary)
6703 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6704 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6707 @kindex T t (Summary)
6708 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6709 Re-thread the current article's thread
6710 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6711 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6714 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6715 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6716 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6717 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6721 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6722 understand the numeric prefix.
6727 @kindex T n (Summary)
6729 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6731 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6732 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6733 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6736 @kindex T p (Summary)
6738 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6740 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6741 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6742 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6745 @kindex T d (Summary)
6746 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6747 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6750 @kindex T u (Summary)
6751 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6752 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6755 @kindex T o (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6757 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6760 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6761 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6762 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6763 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6764 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6765 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6766 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6767 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6768 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6769 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6770 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6771 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6775 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6776 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6778 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6779 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6780 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6781 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6782 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6783 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6784 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6785 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6786 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6787 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6788 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6789 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6790 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6792 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6793 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6794 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6795 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6796 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6797 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6798 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6799 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6801 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6802 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6803 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6805 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6806 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6807 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6808 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6809 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6810 ascending article order.
6812 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6813 by number, you could do something like:
6816 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6817 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6818 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6819 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6822 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6823 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6824 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6825 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6826 which the articles arrived.
6828 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6832 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6834 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6835 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6838 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6839 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6840 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6841 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6844 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6845 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6846 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6847 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6848 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6849 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6850 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6851 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6852 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6853 variable. It is very similar to the
6854 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6855 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6856 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6857 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6858 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6859 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6860 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6862 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6866 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6867 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6868 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6873 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6874 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6875 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6876 @cindex article pre-fetch
6879 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6880 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6881 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6882 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6883 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6885 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6886 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6888 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6889 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6890 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6891 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6892 connection is blocked.
6894 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6895 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6896 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6897 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6899 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6900 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6901 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6902 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6905 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6908 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6909 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6910 happen automatically.
6912 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6913 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6914 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6915 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6916 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6917 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6918 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6920 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6921 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6922 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6923 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6924 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6925 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6926 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6927 data structure as the only parameter.
6929 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6932 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6933 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6934 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6935 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6938 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6941 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6942 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6943 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6945 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6946 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6947 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6948 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6952 Remove articles when they are read.
6955 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6958 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6960 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6961 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6962 @c from the next group.
6965 @node Article Caching
6966 @section Article Caching
6967 @cindex article caching
6970 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6971 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6972 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6973 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6974 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6976 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6978 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6979 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6980 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6981 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6982 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6983 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6984 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6985 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6987 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6988 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6989 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6990 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6991 as dormant, and don't worry.
6993 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6995 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6996 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6997 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6998 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6999 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7000 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7001 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7002 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7003 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7004 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7006 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7007 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7008 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7009 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7010 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7011 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7012 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7013 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7014 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7015 not then be downloaded by this command.
7017 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7018 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7019 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7020 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7021 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7022 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7024 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7025 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7026 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7027 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7028 variables, the group is not cached.
7030 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7031 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7032 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7033 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7034 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7035 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7036 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7037 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7038 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7041 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7042 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7043 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7044 where, isn't that cool?
7046 @node Persistent Articles
7047 @section Persistent Articles
7048 @cindex persistent articles
7050 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7051 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7052 useful in my opinion.
7054 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7055 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7056 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7057 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7058 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7059 the expiry going on at the news server.
7061 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7062 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7063 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7069 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7070 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7073 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7074 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7075 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7076 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7080 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7082 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7083 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7084 interested in persistent articles:
7087 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7091 @node Article Backlog
7092 @section Article Backlog
7094 @cindex article backlog
7096 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7097 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7098 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7099 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7100 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7101 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7102 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7103 increase memory usage some.
7105 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7106 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7107 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7108 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7109 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7110 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7111 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7113 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7116 @node Saving Articles
7117 @section Saving Articles
7118 @cindex saving articles
7120 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7121 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7122 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7123 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7124 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7126 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7127 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7128 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7130 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7131 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7132 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7134 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7135 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7136 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7137 deleted before saving.
7143 @kindex O o (Summary)
7145 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7146 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7147 Save the current article using the default article saver
7148 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7151 @kindex O m (Summary)
7152 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7153 Save the current article in mail format
7154 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7157 @kindex O r (Summary)
7158 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7159 Save the current article in rmail format
7160 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7163 @kindex O f (Summary)
7164 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7165 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7166 Save the current article in plain file format
7167 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7170 @kindex O F (Summary)
7171 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7172 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7173 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7176 @kindex O b (Summary)
7177 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7178 Save the current article body in plain file format
7179 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7182 @kindex O h (Summary)
7183 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7184 Save the current article in mh folder format
7185 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7188 @kindex O v (Summary)
7189 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7190 Save the current article in a VM folder
7191 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7195 @kindex O p (Summary)
7197 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7198 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7199 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7200 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7201 complete headers in the piped output.
7204 @kindex O P (Summary)
7205 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7206 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7207 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7208 external program Muttprint (see
7209 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7210 options to use is controlled by the variable
7211 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7215 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7216 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7217 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7218 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7219 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7220 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7221 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7222 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7223 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7224 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7225 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7226 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7230 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7231 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7232 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7233 functions below, or you can create your own.
7237 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7238 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7239 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7240 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7241 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7242 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7243 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7245 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7246 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7247 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7248 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7249 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7250 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7252 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7253 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7254 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7255 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7256 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7257 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7258 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7260 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7261 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7262 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7263 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7264 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7265 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7267 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7268 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7269 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7270 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7271 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7273 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7274 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7275 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7276 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7277 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7280 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7281 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7282 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7283 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7284 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7286 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7287 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7288 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7289 reader to use this setting.
7292 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7293 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7294 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7295 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7298 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7299 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7300 available functions that generate names:
7304 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7305 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7306 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7308 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7309 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7310 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7312 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7313 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7314 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7316 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7317 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7318 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7320 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7321 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7322 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7325 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7326 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7327 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7328 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7329 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7333 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7334 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7335 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7336 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7339 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7340 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7341 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7342 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7343 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7344 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7345 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7346 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7347 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7349 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7350 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7351 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7352 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7354 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7355 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7356 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7359 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7360 lots of mail groups called things like
7361 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7362 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7363 following will do just that:
7366 (defun my-save-name (group)
7367 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7368 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7370 (setq gnus-split-methods
7371 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7376 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7377 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7378 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7379 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7380 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7381 all the files in the top level directory
7382 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7383 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7384 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7385 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7387 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7388 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7389 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7390 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7391 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7394 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7398 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7399 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7400 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7403 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7404 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7405 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7406 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7409 @node Decoding Articles
7410 @section Decoding Articles
7411 @cindex decoding articles
7413 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7414 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7417 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7418 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7419 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7420 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7421 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7422 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7426 @cindex article series
7427 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7428 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7429 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7430 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7431 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7433 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7434 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7435 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7437 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7438 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7439 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7441 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7442 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7443 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7446 @node Uuencoded Articles
7447 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7449 @cindex uuencoded articles
7454 @kindex X u (Summary)
7455 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7456 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7457 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7460 @kindex X U (Summary)
7461 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7462 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7463 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7466 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7467 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7468 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7471 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7472 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7473 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7474 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7478 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7479 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7480 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7481 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7482 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7484 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7485 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7486 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7487 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7490 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7491 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7492 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7493 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7494 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7495 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7499 @node Shell Archives
7500 @subsection Shell Archives
7502 @cindex shell archives
7503 @cindex shared articles
7505 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7506 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7507 some commands to deal with these:
7512 @kindex X s (Summary)
7513 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7514 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7517 @kindex X S (Summary)
7518 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7519 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7522 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7523 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7524 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7527 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7528 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7529 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7530 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7534 @node PostScript Files
7535 @subsection PostScript Files
7541 @kindex X p (Summary)
7542 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7543 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7546 @kindex X P (Summary)
7547 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7548 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7549 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7552 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7553 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7554 View the current PostScript series
7555 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7558 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7559 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7560 View and save the current PostScript series
7561 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7566 @subsection Other Files
7570 @kindex X o (Summary)
7571 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7572 Save the current series
7573 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7576 @kindex X b (Summary)
7577 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7578 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7579 doesn't really work yet.
7583 @node Decoding Variables
7584 @subsection Decoding Variables
7586 Adjective, not verb.
7589 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7590 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7591 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7595 @node Rule Variables
7596 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7597 @cindex rule variables
7599 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7600 variables are of the form
7603 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7610 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7611 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7613 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7614 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7617 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7618 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7621 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7622 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7623 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7624 user and default view rules.
7626 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7627 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7628 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7633 @node Other Decode Variables
7634 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7639 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7640 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7641 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7642 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7643 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7647 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7648 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7651 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7652 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7653 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7656 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7657 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7658 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7659 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7660 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7663 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7664 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7665 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7667 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7668 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7669 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7670 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7671 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7674 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7675 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7676 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7678 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7679 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7680 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7681 looking for files to display.
7683 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7684 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7685 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7688 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7689 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7690 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7693 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7694 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7695 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7698 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7699 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7700 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7703 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7704 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7705 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7706 decoded articles as unread.
7708 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7709 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7710 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7711 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7713 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7714 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7715 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7717 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7718 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7720 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7721 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7722 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7723 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7725 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7726 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7727 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7728 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7729 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7730 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7731 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7732 simply dropped them.
7737 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7738 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7742 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7743 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7744 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7745 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7746 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7747 for you when you post the article.
7749 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7750 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7751 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7752 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7754 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7755 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7756 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7757 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7758 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7759 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7760 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7762 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7763 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7764 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7765 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7766 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7767 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7768 Default is @code{t}.
7774 @subsection Viewing Files
7775 @cindex viewing files
7776 @cindex pseudo-articles
7778 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7779 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7780 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7781 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7782 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7783 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7784 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7786 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7787 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7788 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7789 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7791 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7792 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7793 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7795 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7796 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7797 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7798 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7799 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7801 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7802 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7803 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7804 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7805 a list of parameters to that command.
7807 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7808 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7809 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7811 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7812 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7813 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7816 @node Article Treatment
7817 @section Article Treatment
7819 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7820 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7821 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7822 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7823 these articles easier.
7826 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7827 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7828 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7829 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7830 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7831 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7832 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7833 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7834 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7835 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7839 @node Article Highlighting
7840 @subsection Article Highlighting
7841 @cindex highlighting
7843 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7844 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7849 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7850 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7851 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7852 Do much highlighting of the current article
7853 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7854 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7857 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7858 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7859 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7860 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7861 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7862 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7863 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7864 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7865 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7866 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7867 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7868 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7871 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7872 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7873 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7875 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7878 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7880 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7881 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7882 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7884 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7885 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7886 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7888 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7889 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7890 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7891 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7892 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7893 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7895 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7896 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7897 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7899 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7900 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7901 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7903 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7904 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7905 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7906 that it's a citation.
7908 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7909 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7910 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7912 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7913 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7914 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7916 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7917 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7918 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7919 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7925 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7926 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7927 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7928 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7929 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7930 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7931 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7932 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7937 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7940 @node Article Fontisizing
7941 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7943 @cindex article emphasis
7945 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7946 @kindex W e (Summary)
7947 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7948 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7949 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7950 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7952 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7953 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7954 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7955 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7956 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7957 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7958 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7959 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7963 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7964 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7965 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7974 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7975 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7976 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7977 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7978 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7979 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7980 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7981 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7982 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7983 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7984 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7985 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7986 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7988 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7989 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7990 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7994 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7997 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7999 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8000 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8001 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8002 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8004 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8007 @node Article Hiding
8008 @subsection Article Hiding
8009 @cindex article hiding
8011 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8012 too much cruft in most articles.
8017 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8018 @findex gnus-article-hide
8019 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8020 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8021 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8024 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8025 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8026 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8030 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8031 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8032 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8033 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8036 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8037 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8038 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8042 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8044 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8045 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8046 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8047 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8048 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8049 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8053 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8054 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8055 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8056 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8061 @kindex W W p (Summary)
8062 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
8063 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8064 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
8065 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8066 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8067 articles that have signatures in them do:
8069 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8071 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8073 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8074 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8076 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8079 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8084 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8085 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8086 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8087 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8090 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8091 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8092 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8093 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8096 @cindex stripping advertisements
8097 @cindex advertisements
8098 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8099 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8100 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8101 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8102 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8103 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8104 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8105 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8106 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8107 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8110 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8111 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8112 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8116 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8117 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8118 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8119 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8120 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8121 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8122 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8123 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8124 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8125 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8126 following element to remove them:
8129 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8135 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8136 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8137 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8138 customizing the hiding:
8142 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8143 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8144 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8145 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8146 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8147 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8148 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8153 Starting point of the hidden text.
8155 Ending point of the hidden text.
8157 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8159 Number of lines of hidden text.
8162 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8163 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8164 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8165 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8166 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8171 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8172 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8174 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8175 following two variables:
8178 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8179 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8180 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8181 50), hide the cited text.
8183 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8184 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8185 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8190 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8192 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8193 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8194 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8195 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8199 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8200 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8201 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8203 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8204 citation customization.
8206 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8210 @node Article Washing
8211 @subsection Article Washing
8213 @cindex article washing
8215 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8216 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8218 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8219 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8222 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8223 articles by default.
8228 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8229 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8233 @kindex W l (Summary)
8234 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8235 Remove page breaks from the current article
8236 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8240 @kindex W r (Summary)
8241 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8242 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8243 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8244 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8245 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8246 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8248 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8249 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8250 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8251 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8254 @kindex W m (Summary)
8255 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8256 @c @icon{gnus-summary-morse-message}
8257 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8261 @kindex W t (Summary)
8263 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8264 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8265 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8268 @kindex W v (Summary)
8269 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8270 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8271 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8274 @kindex W m (Summary)
8275 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8276 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8277 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8280 @kindex W o (Summary)
8281 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8282 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8285 @kindex W d (Summary)
8286 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8287 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8289 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8291 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8292 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8293 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8294 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8297 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8298 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8299 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8300 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8303 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8304 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8305 @cindex Outlook Express
8306 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8307 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8308 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8311 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8312 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8313 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8314 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8315 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8316 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8317 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8318 (@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8321 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8322 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8323 Repair a broken attribution line.
8324 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8327 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8329 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8330 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8333 @kindex W w (Summary)
8334 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8335 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8337 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8341 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8342 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8343 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8346 @kindex W C (Summary)
8347 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8348 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8349 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8352 @kindex W c (Summary)
8353 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8354 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8355 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8356 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8357 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8360 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8361 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8362 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8363 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8364 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8365 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8366 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8368 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8371 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8372 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8373 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8374 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8375 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8378 @kindex W u (Summary)
8379 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8380 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8381 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8382 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8383 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8386 @kindex W h (Summary)
8387 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8388 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8389 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8390 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8392 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8394 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8395 The default is to use the function specified by
8396 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8397 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8398 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8399 you can use include:
8406 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8410 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8413 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8416 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8421 @kindex W b (Summary)
8422 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8423 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8424 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8427 @kindex W B (Summary)
8428 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8429 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8430 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8433 @kindex W p (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8435 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8436 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8437 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8438 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8439 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8440 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8443 @kindex W s (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8445 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8446 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8449 @kindex W a (Summary)
8450 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8451 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8452 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8455 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8456 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8457 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8458 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8461 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8463 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8464 lines with a single empty line.
8465 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8468 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8469 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8470 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8471 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8474 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8475 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8476 Do all the three commands above
8477 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8480 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8481 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8482 Remove all blank lines
8483 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8486 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8487 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8488 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8489 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8492 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8493 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8494 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8495 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8499 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8502 @node Article Header
8503 @subsection Article Header
8505 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8510 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8511 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8512 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8515 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8516 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8517 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8518 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8521 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8523 Fold all the message headers
8524 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8528 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8529 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8530 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8535 @node Article Buttons
8536 @subsection Article Buttons
8539 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8540 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8541 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8542 button on these references.
8544 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8545 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8546 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8547 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8548 one that handles article heads:
8552 @item gnus-button-alist
8553 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8554 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8557 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8563 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8564 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8565 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8566 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8567 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8570 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8571 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8572 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8575 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8576 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8577 avoid false matches.
8580 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8583 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8584 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8588 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8591 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8594 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8595 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8596 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8597 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8598 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8601 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8604 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8606 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8607 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8608 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8609 default values of the variables above.
8611 @item gnus-article-button-face
8612 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8613 Face used on buttons.
8615 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8616 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8617 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8621 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8625 @subsection Article Date
8627 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8628 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8629 when the article was sent.
8634 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8635 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8636 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8637 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8640 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8641 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8643 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8644 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8647 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8648 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8649 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8652 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8653 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8654 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8655 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8658 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8659 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8660 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8661 @findex format-time-string
8662 Display the date using a user-defined format
8663 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8664 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8665 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8666 for a list of possible format specs.
8669 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8670 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8671 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8672 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8673 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8674 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8677 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8680 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8681 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8684 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8685 into wonderful absurdities.
8687 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8690 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8693 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8694 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8698 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8699 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8700 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8701 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8702 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8703 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8704 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8708 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8709 preferred format automatically.
8712 @node Article Display
8713 @subsection Article Display
8718 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8719 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8721 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8722 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8724 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8725 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8727 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8728 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8730 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8735 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8737 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8738 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8741 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8742 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8743 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8744 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8747 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8748 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8749 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8752 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8753 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8754 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8757 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8758 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8759 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8760 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8763 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8764 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8765 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8766 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8769 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8770 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8771 Remove all images from the article buffer
8772 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8778 @node Article Signature
8779 @subsection Article Signature
8781 @cindex article signature
8783 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8784 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8785 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8786 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8787 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8788 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8789 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8790 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8791 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8794 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8795 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8796 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8797 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8798 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8799 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8800 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8801 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8804 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8807 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8808 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8809 signature when displaying articles.
8813 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8816 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8819 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8820 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8822 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8823 in question is not a signature.
8826 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8827 listed above. Here's an example:
8830 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8831 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8834 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8835 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8836 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8837 signature after all.
8840 @node Article Miscellania
8841 @subsection Article Miscellania
8845 @kindex A t (Summary)
8846 @findex gnus-article-babel
8847 Translate the article from one language to another
8848 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8854 @section MIME Commands
8855 @cindex MIME decoding
8857 @cindex viewing attachments
8859 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8860 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8866 @kindex K v (Summary)
8867 View the @sc{mime} part.
8870 @kindex K o (Summary)
8871 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8874 @kindex K c (Summary)
8875 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8878 @kindex K e (Summary)
8879 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8882 @kindex K i (Summary)
8883 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8886 @kindex K | (Summary)
8887 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8890 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8895 @kindex K b (Summary)
8896 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8897 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8901 @kindex K m (Summary)
8902 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8903 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8904 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8905 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8906 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8909 @kindex X m (Summary)
8910 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8911 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8912 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8913 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8916 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8917 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8918 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8919 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8922 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8923 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8924 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8925 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8928 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8929 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8930 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8931 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8933 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8934 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8935 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8936 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8937 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8938 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8941 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8942 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8943 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8944 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8951 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8952 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8953 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8954 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8957 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8960 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8964 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
8965 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
8966 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
8967 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
8968 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
8969 default is @code{nil}.
8971 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
8972 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
8973 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
8974 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
8975 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
8976 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
8977 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
8979 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8980 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8981 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8982 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8983 displayed or this variable is overridden by
8984 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8985 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
8986 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
8988 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8989 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8990 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8991 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8992 displayed. This variable overrides
8993 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8994 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
8997 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8998 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8999 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9001 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9002 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9003 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9004 value is @code{nil}.
9006 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9007 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9008 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9009 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9010 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9011 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9012 save all jpegs into some directory).
9014 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9017 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9018 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9020 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9021 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9022 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9023 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9024 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9027 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9028 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9029 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9031 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9032 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9033 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9034 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9036 Ready-made functions include@*
9037 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9038 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9039 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9040 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9041 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9042 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9043 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9044 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9045 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9046 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9047 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9048 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9050 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9051 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9053 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9054 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9055 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9058 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9059 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9060 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9061 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9065 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9074 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9075 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9076 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9077 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9078 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9079 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9080 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9082 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9083 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9084 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9085 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9087 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9088 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9089 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9090 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9091 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9092 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9093 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9094 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9096 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9097 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9098 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9099 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9100 quoted-printable header encoding.
9102 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9103 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9104 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9108 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9111 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9112 means encode all charsets),
9114 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9115 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9116 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9123 @cindex coding system aliases
9124 @cindex preferred charset
9126 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9128 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9129 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9132 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9133 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9136 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9137 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9139 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9142 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9145 This will almost do the right thing.
9147 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9151 (codepage-setup 1251)
9152 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9156 @node Article Commands
9157 @section Article Commands
9164 @kindex A P (Summary)
9165 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9166 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9167 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9168 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9169 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9170 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9175 @node Summary Sorting
9176 @section Summary Sorting
9177 @cindex summary sorting
9179 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9180 can't really see why you'd want that.
9185 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9186 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9187 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9190 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9191 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9192 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9195 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9197 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9200 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9201 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9202 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9205 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9206 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9207 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9210 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9211 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9212 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9215 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9216 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9217 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9220 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9222 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9225 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9226 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9227 Sort using the default sorting method
9228 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9231 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9232 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9233 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9234 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9235 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9239 @node Finding the Parent
9240 @section Finding the Parent
9241 @cindex parent articles
9242 @cindex referring articles
9247 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9248 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9249 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9250 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9251 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9252 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9253 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9254 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9255 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9257 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9258 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9259 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9260 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9261 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9265 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9266 @kindex A R (Summary)
9267 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9268 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9271 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9272 @kindex A T (Summary)
9273 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9274 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9275 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9276 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9277 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9278 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9279 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9281 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9282 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9283 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9284 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9285 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9286 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9289 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9290 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9292 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9293 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9294 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9295 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9296 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9297 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9298 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9301 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9302 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9303 by giving this command a prefix.
9305 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9306 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9307 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9308 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9309 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9310 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9313 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9314 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9315 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9318 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9319 then ask Google if that fails:
9322 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9324 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9327 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9328 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9329 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9330 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9331 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9332 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9333 support this at all.
9336 @node Alternative Approaches
9337 @section Alternative Approaches
9339 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9340 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9343 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9344 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9349 @subsection Pick and Read
9350 @cindex pick and read
9352 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9353 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9354 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9355 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9357 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9358 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9359 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9360 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9361 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9362 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9364 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9369 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9370 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9371 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9372 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9373 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9374 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9375 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9376 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9379 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9380 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9381 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9382 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9386 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9387 Unpick the thread or article
9388 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9389 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9390 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9391 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9392 the thread or article at that line.
9396 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9397 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9398 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9399 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9400 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9401 will still be visible when you are reading.
9405 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9406 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9407 which is mapped to the same function
9408 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9410 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9413 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9416 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9417 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9419 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9420 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9421 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9423 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9424 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9425 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9426 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9427 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9428 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9429 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9433 @subsection Binary Groups
9434 @cindex binary groups
9436 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9437 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9438 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9439 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9440 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9441 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9442 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9445 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9446 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9447 command, when you have turned on this mode
9448 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9450 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9451 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9455 @section Tree Display
9458 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9459 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9460 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9461 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9464 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9467 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9468 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9469 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9471 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9472 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9473 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9474 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9475 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9477 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9478 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9479 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9480 default is @code{modeline}.
9482 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9483 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9484 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9485 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9486 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9487 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9488 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9494 The name of the poster.
9496 The @code{From} header.
9498 The number of the article.
9500 The opening bracket.
9502 The closing bracket.
9507 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9509 Variables related to the display are:
9512 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9513 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9514 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9515 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9516 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9517 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9519 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9520 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9521 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9522 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9526 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9527 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9528 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9529 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9530 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9531 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9532 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9533 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9534 other windows displayed next to it.
9536 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9540 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9541 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9544 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9545 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9546 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9547 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9548 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9549 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9550 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9554 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9557 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9567 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9571 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9572 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9574 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9576 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9581 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9582 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9583 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9586 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9587 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9588 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9589 (gnus-add-configuration
9593 (summary 0.75 point)
9598 @xref{Window Layout}.
9601 @node Mail Group Commands
9602 @section Mail Group Commands
9603 @cindex mail group commands
9605 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9606 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9608 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9609 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9614 @kindex B e (Summary)
9615 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9616 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9617 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9618 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9619 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9622 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9623 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9624 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9625 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9626 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9627 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9630 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9631 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9632 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9633 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9634 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9635 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9638 @kindex B m (Summary)
9640 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9641 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9642 Move the article from one mail group to another
9643 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9644 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9647 @kindex B c (Summary)
9649 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9650 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9651 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9652 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9653 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9656 @kindex B B (Summary)
9657 @cindex crosspost mail
9658 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9659 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9660 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9661 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9662 be properly updated.
9665 @kindex B i (Summary)
9666 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9667 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9668 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9669 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9672 @kindex B I (Summary)
9673 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9674 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9675 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9676 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9679 @kindex B r (Summary)
9680 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9681 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9682 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9683 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9684 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9685 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9686 (which is the default).
9690 @kindex B w (Summary)
9692 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9693 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9695 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9696 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9697 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9698 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9701 @kindex B q (Summary)
9702 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9703 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9704 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9705 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9708 @kindex B t (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9710 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9711 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9714 @kindex B p (Summary)
9715 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9716 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9717 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9718 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9719 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9720 article from your news server (or rather, from
9721 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9722 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9723 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9724 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9725 just not have arrived yet.
9728 @kindex K E (Summary)
9729 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9730 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9731 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9732 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9733 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9737 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9738 @cindex moving articles
9739 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9740 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9741 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9742 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9743 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9744 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9745 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9748 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9749 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9750 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9751 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9755 @node Various Summary Stuff
9756 @section Various Summary Stuff
9759 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9760 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9761 * Summary Generation Commands::
9762 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9766 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9767 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9768 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9770 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9771 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9772 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9773 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9774 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9775 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9778 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9779 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9780 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9781 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9782 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9784 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9785 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9786 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9789 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9790 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9791 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9792 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9793 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9794 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9795 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9796 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9797 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9798 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9800 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9801 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9802 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9803 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9804 list of articles to be selected.
9806 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9807 the list in one particular group:
9810 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9811 (if (string= group "some.group")
9812 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9816 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9817 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9818 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9819 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9820 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9821 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9822 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9823 buffers. For example:
9826 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9827 '(message-use-followup-to
9828 (gnus-visible-headers .
9829 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9835 @node Summary Group Information
9836 @subsection Summary Group Information
9841 @kindex H f (Summary)
9842 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9843 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9844 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9845 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9846 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9847 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9848 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9849 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9850 be used for fetching the file.
9853 @kindex H d (Summary)
9854 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9855 Give a brief description of the current group
9856 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9857 rereading the description from the server.
9860 @kindex H h (Summary)
9861 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9862 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9863 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9866 @kindex H i (Summary)
9867 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9868 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9872 @node Searching for Articles
9873 @subsection Searching for Articles
9878 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9879 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9880 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9881 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9884 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9885 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9886 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9887 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9891 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9892 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9893 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9894 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9895 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9896 search backward instead.
9898 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9899 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9902 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9903 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9904 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9905 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9908 @node Summary Generation Commands
9909 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9914 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9915 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9916 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9919 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9920 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9921 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9922 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9925 @kindex Y d (Summary)
9926 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
9927 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9928 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
9933 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9934 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9940 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9941 @kindex A D (Summary)
9942 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9943 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9944 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9945 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9946 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9947 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9948 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9949 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9953 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9954 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9955 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9956 several documents into one biiig group
9957 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9958 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9959 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9960 command understands the process/prefix convention
9961 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9964 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9965 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9966 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9967 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9968 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9969 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9973 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9974 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9975 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9978 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9979 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9980 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9981 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9984 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9985 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9986 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9987 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9992 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9993 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9994 @cindex summary exit
9995 @cindex exiting groups
9997 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9998 group and return you to the group buffer.
10004 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10005 @kindex q (Summary)
10006 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10007 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10008 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10009 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10010 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10011 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10012 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10013 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10014 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10015 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10016 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10020 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10021 @kindex Q (Summary)
10022 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10023 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10024 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10028 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10029 @kindex c (Summary)
10030 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10031 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10032 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10033 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10036 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10037 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10038 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10039 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10042 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10043 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10044 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10045 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10048 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10049 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10050 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10051 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10052 all articles, both read and unread.
10056 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10057 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10058 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10059 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10060 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10061 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10062 articles, both read and unread.
10065 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10066 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10067 Exit the group and go to the next group
10068 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10071 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10072 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10073 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10074 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10077 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10078 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10079 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10080 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10081 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10082 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10085 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10086 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10087 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10088 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10090 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10091 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10092 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10093 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10094 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10095 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10096 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10097 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10098 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10099 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10100 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10101 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10103 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10105 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10106 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10107 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10108 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10109 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10110 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10111 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10112 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10113 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10116 @node Crosspost Handling
10117 @section Crosspost Handling
10121 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10122 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10123 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10124 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10125 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10126 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10129 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10130 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10131 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10132 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10133 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10135 @cindex cross-posting
10138 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10139 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10140 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10141 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10142 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10143 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10144 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10145 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10146 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10147 the cross reference mechanism.
10149 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10150 @cindex overview.fmt
10151 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10152 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10153 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10154 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10155 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10156 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10159 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10160 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10161 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10166 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10169 @node Duplicate Suppression
10170 @section Duplicate Suppression
10172 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10173 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10174 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10175 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10180 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10181 is evil and not very common.
10184 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10185 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10188 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10189 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10192 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10195 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10196 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10198 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10199 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10200 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10201 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10202 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10203 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10204 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10207 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10208 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10209 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10210 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10211 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10212 saw the article in.
10215 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10216 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10217 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10219 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10220 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10221 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10222 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10223 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10224 session are suppressed.
10226 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10227 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10228 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10229 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10231 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10232 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10233 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10234 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10237 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10238 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10239 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10240 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10241 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10242 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10243 to you to figure out, I think.
10248 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10249 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10250 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10254 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10255 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10256 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10257 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10260 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10261 or newer is recommended.
10265 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10266 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10269 @item mm-verify-option
10270 @vindex mm-verify-option
10271 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10272 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10273 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10275 @item mm-decrypt-option
10276 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10277 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10278 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10279 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10282 @vindex mml1991-use
10283 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10284 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10285 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10288 @vindex mml2015-use
10289 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10290 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10291 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10296 @section Mailing List
10298 @kindex A M (summary)
10299 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10300 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10301 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10302 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10303 summary buffer, or say:
10306 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10309 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10314 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10315 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10316 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10319 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10320 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10321 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10324 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10325 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10326 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10330 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10331 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10332 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10335 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10336 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10337 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10340 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10341 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10342 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10346 @node Article Buffer
10347 @chapter Article Buffer
10348 @cindex article buffer
10350 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10351 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10352 tell gnus otherwise.
10355 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10356 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10357 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10358 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10359 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10363 @node Hiding Headers
10364 @section Hiding Headers
10365 @cindex hiding headers
10366 @cindex deleting headers
10368 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10369 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10371 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10372 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10373 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10374 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10375 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10376 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10377 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10378 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10379 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10381 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10385 @item gnus-visible-headers
10386 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10387 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10388 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10389 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10391 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10392 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10395 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10398 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10401 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10402 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10403 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10404 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10405 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10406 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10408 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10409 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10412 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10415 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10418 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10419 variable will have no effect.
10423 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10424 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10425 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10426 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10427 the headers are to be displayed.
10429 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10430 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10433 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10436 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10437 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10439 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10440 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10441 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10442 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10443 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10444 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10445 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10448 These conditions are:
10451 Remove all empty headers.
10453 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10454 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10456 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10457 @code{From} header.
10459 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10462 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10463 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10465 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10468 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10470 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10473 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10476 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10477 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10480 This is also the default value for this variable.
10484 @section Using MIME
10487 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10488 while people stand around yawning.
10490 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10491 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10493 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10494 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10495 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10497 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10498 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10499 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10500 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10501 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10502 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10503 calls the @sc{semi} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10504 information on @sc{semi} MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is
10505 not existed yet, sorry).
10507 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10508 @sc{mime} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set, then
10509 you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10510 These can't be avoided.
10512 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10513 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10514 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10515 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10516 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10517 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10518 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10519 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10520 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10523 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10525 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10526 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10527 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10528 buffer when there are nobody else.
10530 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10533 @node Customizing Articles
10534 @section Customizing Articles
10535 @cindex article customization
10537 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10538 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10539 called automatically when you select the articles.
10541 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10542 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10543 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10544 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10546 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10547 for sensible values.
10551 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10554 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10557 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10560 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10563 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10567 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10568 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10569 regexps in the list.
10572 A list where the first element is not a string:
10574 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10575 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10576 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10580 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10584 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10589 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10590 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10591 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10592 considered to contain just a single part.
10594 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10595 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10596 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10597 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10598 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10599 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10600 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10602 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10603 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10604 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10605 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10608 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10609 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10611 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10613 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10614 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10615 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10616 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10617 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10618 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10619 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10620 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10621 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10622 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10623 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10624 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10626 @xref{Article Washing}.
10628 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10629 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10630 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10631 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10632 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10633 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10634 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10636 @xref{Article Date}.
10638 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10639 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10640 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10644 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10646 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10648 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10649 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10650 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10654 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10658 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10659 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10660 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10661 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10662 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10663 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10664 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10665 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10667 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10669 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10670 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10671 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10673 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10675 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10676 @item gnus-treat-translate
10677 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10679 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10680 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10681 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10682 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10684 @xref{Article Header}.
10689 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10690 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10691 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10692 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10693 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10697 @node Article Keymap
10698 @section Article Keymap
10700 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10701 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10702 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10703 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10706 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10711 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10712 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10713 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10716 @kindex DEL (Article)
10717 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10718 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10721 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10722 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10723 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10724 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10725 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10728 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10729 @findex gnus-article-mail
10730 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10731 given a prefix, include the mail.
10734 @kindex s (Article)
10735 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10736 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10737 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10740 @kindex ? (Article)
10741 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10742 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10743 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10746 @kindex TAB (Article)
10747 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10748 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10749 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10752 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10753 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10754 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10757 @kindex R (Article)
10758 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10759 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10760 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10761 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10765 @kindex F (Article)
10766 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10767 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10768 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10769 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10777 @section Misc Article
10781 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10782 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10783 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10784 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10787 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10788 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10790 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10791 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10793 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10794 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10795 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10796 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10797 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10798 the contents of the article buffer.
10800 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10801 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10802 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10804 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10805 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10806 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10807 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10809 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10810 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10811 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10812 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10813 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10819 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10820 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10821 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10826 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10829 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10832 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10833 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10834 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10837 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10840 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10843 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10848 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10852 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10854 @item gnus-break-pages
10855 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10856 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10857 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10858 paging will not be done.
10860 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10861 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10862 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10867 @node Composing Messages
10868 @chapter Composing Messages
10869 @cindex composing messages
10872 @cindex sending mail
10877 @cindex using s/mime
10878 @cindex using smime
10880 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10881 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10882 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10883 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10884 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10885 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10888 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10889 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10890 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10891 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10892 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10893 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10894 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10895 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10898 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10899 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10905 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10908 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10909 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10910 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10911 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
10912 @code{nil} include all headers.
10914 @item gnus-add-to-list
10915 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10916 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10917 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10919 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10920 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10921 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
10922 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
10923 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
10924 confirmation is should be asked for.
10926 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10927 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10929 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
10930 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
10931 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
10932 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
10933 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
10938 @node Posting Server
10939 @section Posting Server
10941 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10942 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10944 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10946 It can be quite complicated.
10948 @vindex gnus-post-method
10949 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10950 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10951 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10952 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10953 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10954 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10955 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10956 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10957 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10960 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10963 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10964 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10965 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10966 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10968 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10969 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10971 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10972 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10975 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10976 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10978 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10979 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10980 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10981 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10982 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10983 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10984 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10985 package correctly. An example:
10988 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10989 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10992 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
10993 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
10994 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
10996 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10997 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10998 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11000 @node Mail and Post
11001 @section Mail and Post
11003 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11007 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11008 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11009 @cindex mailing lists
11011 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11012 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11013 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11014 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11015 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11016 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11017 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11018 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11019 still a pain, though.
11023 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11024 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11025 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11028 @findex ispell-message
11030 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11033 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11034 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11037 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11041 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11042 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11044 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11047 Modify to suit your needs.
11050 @node Archived Messages
11051 @section Archived Messages
11052 @cindex archived messages
11053 @cindex sent messages
11055 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11056 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11057 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11058 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11061 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11062 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11065 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11066 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11067 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11070 (nnfolder "archive"
11071 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11072 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11073 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11074 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11077 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11078 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11079 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11080 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11083 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11084 '(nnfolder "archive"
11085 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11086 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11087 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11090 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11092 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11093 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11094 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11096 This variable can be used to do the following:
11101 Messages will be saved in that group.
11103 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11104 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11105 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11106 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11107 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11108 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11109 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11110 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11114 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11116 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11117 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11120 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11125 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11127 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11130 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11132 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11135 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11137 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11138 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11139 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11140 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11143 More complex stuff:
11145 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11146 '((if (message-news-p)
11151 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11152 messages in one file per month:
11155 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11156 '((if (message-news-p)
11158 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11161 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11162 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11164 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11165 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11166 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11167 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11168 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11169 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11170 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11171 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11172 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11173 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11175 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11176 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11177 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11178 this will disable archiving.
11181 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11182 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11183 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11184 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11185 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11188 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11189 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11190 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11193 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11194 but the latter is the preferred method.
11196 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11197 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11198 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11200 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11201 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11202 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11203 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11204 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11205 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11206 changed in the future.
11211 @node Posting Styles
11212 @section Posting Styles
11213 @cindex posting styles
11216 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11218 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11219 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11220 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11223 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11224 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11225 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11226 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11227 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11232 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11233 (organization "What me?"))
11235 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11236 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11237 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11240 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11241 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11242 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11243 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11244 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11245 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11246 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11247 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11249 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11250 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11251 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11252 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11253 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. (There original article is the
11254 one you are replying or following up to. If you are not composing a
11255 reply or a followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11256 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with no
11257 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11258 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11259 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
11262 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11263 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11264 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11265 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11266 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11267 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11268 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11269 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11270 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11271 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11274 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11275 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11276 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11277 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11278 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11279 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11280 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11281 references chars lines xref extra.
11283 @vindex message-reply-headers
11285 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11286 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11287 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11289 @findex message-mail-p
11290 @findex message-news-p
11292 So here's a new example:
11295 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11297 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11299 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11300 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11302 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11303 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11304 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11305 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11306 (signature my-news-signature))
11307 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11308 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11309 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11310 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11311 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11312 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11313 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11314 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11315 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11316 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11318 (From (save-excursion
11319 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11320 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11322 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11325 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11326 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11327 if you fill many roles.
11329 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11330 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11331 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11332 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11333 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11334 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11335 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11336 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11341 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11343 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11345 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11346 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11349 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11352 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11353 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11360 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11361 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11362 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11363 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11364 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11366 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11367 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11368 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11369 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11370 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11374 @vindex nndraft-directory
11375 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11376 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11377 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11378 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11379 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11380 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11382 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11383 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11386 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11387 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11388 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11389 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11390 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11391 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11392 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11393 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11394 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11395 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11396 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11397 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11398 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11399 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11401 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11402 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11403 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11405 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11406 @kindex D e (Draft)
11407 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11408 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11409 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11411 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11414 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11415 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11416 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11417 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11418 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11419 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11420 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11423 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11424 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11425 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11428 @node Rejected Articles
11429 @section Rejected Articles
11430 @cindex rejected articles
11432 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11433 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11434 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11435 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11437 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11438 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11439 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11440 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11441 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11443 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11444 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11445 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11447 @node Signing and encrypting
11448 @section Signing and encrypting
11450 @cindex using s/mime
11451 @cindex using smime
11453 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11454 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11455 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11456 (@pxref{Security}).
11458 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11459 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11460 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11461 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11462 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11463 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11464 automatically encrypted messages.
11466 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11467 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11468 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11473 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11474 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11476 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11479 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11480 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11482 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11485 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11486 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11488 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11491 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11492 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11494 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11497 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11498 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11500 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11503 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11504 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11506 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11509 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11510 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11511 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11515 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11517 @node Select Methods
11518 @chapter Select Methods
11519 @cindex foreign groups
11520 @cindex select methods
11522 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11523 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11524 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11525 personal mail group.
11527 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11528 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11529 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11530 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11531 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11532 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11534 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11535 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11537 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11540 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11541 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11542 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11543 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11544 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11546 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11549 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11550 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11551 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11552 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11553 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11554 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11555 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11556 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11560 @node Server Buffer
11561 @section Server Buffer
11563 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11564 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11565 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11566 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11567 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11568 back end represents a virtual server.
11570 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11571 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11572 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11573 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11575 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11576 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11577 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11578 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11579 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11580 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11581 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11583 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11584 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11587 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11588 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11589 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11590 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11591 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11592 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11593 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11596 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11597 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11600 @node Server Buffer Format
11601 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11602 @cindex server buffer format
11604 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11605 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11606 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11607 variable, with some simple extensions:
11612 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11615 The name of this server.
11618 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11621 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11624 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11625 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11626 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11627 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11637 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11640 @node Server Commands
11641 @subsection Server Commands
11642 @cindex server commands
11648 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11649 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11653 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11654 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11657 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11658 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11659 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11663 @findex gnus-server-exit
11664 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11668 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11669 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11673 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11674 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11678 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11679 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11683 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11684 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11688 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11689 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11690 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11695 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11696 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11697 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11698 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11703 @node Example Methods
11704 @subsection Example Methods
11706 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11709 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11712 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11718 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11719 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11722 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11723 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11725 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11726 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11730 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11733 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11734 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11736 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11737 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11738 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11742 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11745 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11748 Here's the method for a public spool:
11752 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11753 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11759 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11760 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11761 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11762 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11763 should probably look something like this:
11767 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11768 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11769 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11770 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11773 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11774 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11775 configuration to the example above:
11778 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11781 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11783 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11784 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11785 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11789 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11790 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11791 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11792 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11795 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11796 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11797 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11798 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11801 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11802 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11804 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11805 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11807 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11808 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11809 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11811 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11813 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11814 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11815 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11816 will contain the following:
11826 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11827 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11828 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11831 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11832 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11833 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11836 @node Server Variables
11837 @subsection Server Variables
11839 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11840 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11841 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11842 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11843 won't change the "derived" variables.
11845 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11846 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11847 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11848 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11849 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11850 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11851 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11852 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11853 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11857 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11858 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11859 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11863 @node Servers and Methods
11864 @subsection Servers and Methods
11866 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11867 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11868 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11869 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11873 @node Unavailable Servers
11874 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11876 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11877 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11878 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11879 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11880 actually the case or not.
11882 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11883 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11884 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11885 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11886 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11887 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11888 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11889 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11891 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11892 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11894 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11895 with the following commands:
11901 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11902 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11903 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11907 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11908 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11909 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11913 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11914 Mark the current server as unreachable
11915 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11918 @kindex M-o (Server)
11919 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11920 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11921 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11924 @kindex M-c (Server)
11925 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11926 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11927 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11931 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11932 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11933 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11937 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11938 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11944 @section Getting News
11945 @cindex reading news
11946 @cindex news back ends
11948 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11949 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11950 or it can read from a local spool.
11953 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11954 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11962 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11963 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11964 server as the, uhm, address.
11966 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11967 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11968 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11969 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11971 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11972 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11973 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11975 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11980 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11981 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11982 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11984 @cindex authentification
11985 @cindex nntp authentification
11986 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11987 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11988 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11989 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11990 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11991 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11992 present in this hook.
11994 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11995 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11996 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11997 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11998 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11999 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12000 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12001 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12002 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12003 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12004 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12005 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12009 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12012 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12014 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12015 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12016 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12017 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12018 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12019 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12020 @samp{force} is explained below.
12024 Here's an example file:
12027 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12028 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12031 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12032 have to be first, for instance.
12034 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12035 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12036 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12037 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12038 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12039 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12040 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12042 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12043 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12049 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12050 previously mentioned.
12052 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12054 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12055 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12056 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12057 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12058 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12061 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12062 '(("innd" (ding))))
12065 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12067 The default value is
12070 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12071 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12072 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12075 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12076 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12078 @item nntp-maximum-request
12079 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12080 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12081 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12082 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12083 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12084 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12085 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12087 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12088 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12089 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12090 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12091 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12092 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12093 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12094 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12095 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12096 no timeouts are done.
12098 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12099 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12100 @c @cindex PPP connections
12101 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12102 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12103 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12104 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12105 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12106 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12107 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12108 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12109 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12110 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12112 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12113 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12114 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12115 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12116 @c described above.
12118 @item nntp-server-hook
12119 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12120 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12123 @item nntp-buggy-select
12124 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12125 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12127 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12128 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12129 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12130 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12133 @item nntp-xover-commands
12134 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12137 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12138 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12142 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12143 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12144 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12145 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12146 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12147 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12148 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12149 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12150 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12151 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12152 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12154 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12155 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12156 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12158 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12159 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12160 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12161 server closes connection.
12163 @item nntp-record-commands
12164 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12165 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12166 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12167 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12168 that doesn't seem to work.
12170 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12171 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12172 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12173 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12174 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12175 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12176 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12177 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12179 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12180 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12181 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12182 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12183 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12184 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12185 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12188 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12191 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12192 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12194 @item nntp-list-options
12195 @vindex nntp-list-options
12196 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12197 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12198 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12199 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12200 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12204 (setq gnus-select-method
12205 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12206 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12209 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12210 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12211 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12212 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12213 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12214 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12215 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12218 (setq gnus-select-method
12219 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12220 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12223 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12224 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12225 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12226 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12227 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12228 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12229 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12232 (setq gnus-select-method
12233 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12234 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12239 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12240 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12241 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12245 @node Direct Functions
12246 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12247 @cindex direct connection functions
12249 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12250 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12251 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12252 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12255 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12256 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12257 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12260 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12261 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12262 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12263 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12264 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12265 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12266 define a server as follows:
12269 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12271 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12272 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12274 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12275 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12276 (nntp-port-number 563)
12277 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12280 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12281 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12282 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12283 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12284 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12285 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12286 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12287 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12291 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12292 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12293 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12296 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12297 session, which is not a good idea.
12301 @node Indirect Functions
12302 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12303 @cindex indirect connection functions
12305 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12306 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12307 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12308 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12309 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12310 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12313 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12314 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12315 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12316 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12317 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12319 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12322 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12323 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12324 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12325 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12327 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12328 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12329 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12330 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12331 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12332 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12333 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12334 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12337 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12338 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12339 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12340 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12342 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12345 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12346 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12347 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12350 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12351 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12352 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12353 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12355 @item nntp-via-user-password
12356 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12357 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12359 @item nntp-via-envuser
12360 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12361 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12362 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12363 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12365 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12366 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12367 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12368 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12375 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12380 @item nntp-via-user-name
12381 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12382 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12384 @item nntp-via-address
12385 @vindex nntp-via-address
12386 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12391 @node Common Variables
12392 @subsubsection Common Variables
12394 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12395 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12400 @item nntp-pre-command
12401 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12402 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12403 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12404 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12405 wrapper for instance.
12408 @vindex nntp-address
12409 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12411 @item nntp-port-number
12412 @vindex nntp-port-number
12413 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12414 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12415 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12416 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12418 @item nntp-end-of-line
12419 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12420 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12421 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12422 using a non native connection function.
12424 @item nntp-telnet-command
12425 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12426 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12427 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12428 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12430 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12431 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12432 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12439 @subsection News Spool
12443 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12444 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12445 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12448 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12449 anything else) as the address.
12451 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12452 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12453 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12454 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12458 @item nnspool-inews-program
12459 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12460 Program used to post an article.
12462 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12463 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12464 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12466 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12467 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12468 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12469 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12471 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12472 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12473 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12474 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12476 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12477 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12478 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12480 @item nnspool-active-file
12481 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12482 The path to the active file.
12484 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12485 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12486 The path to the group descriptions file.
12488 @item nnspool-history-file
12489 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12490 The path to the news history file.
12492 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12493 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12494 The path to the active date file.
12496 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12497 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12498 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12501 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12502 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12504 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12505 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12506 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12512 @section Getting Mail
12513 @cindex reading mail
12516 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12520 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12521 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12522 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12523 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12524 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12525 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12526 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12527 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12528 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12529 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12530 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12531 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12532 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12536 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12537 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12539 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12540 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12541 of a culture shock.
12543 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12544 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12546 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12547 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12548 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12549 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12551 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12553 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12554 deleted? How awful!
12556 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12557 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12558 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12559 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12562 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12563 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12564 they want to treat a message.
12566 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12567 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12568 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12569 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12570 archived somewhere else.
12572 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12573 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12574 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12575 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12576 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12578 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12579 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12580 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12582 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12583 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12586 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12587 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12588 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12589 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12590 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12592 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12593 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12594 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12595 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12596 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12597 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12601 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12602 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12604 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12605 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12606 and things will happen automatically.
12608 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12609 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12612 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12615 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12616 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12617 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12618 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12619 like any other group.
12621 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12624 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12625 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12626 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12630 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12631 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12632 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12635 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12636 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12637 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12640 @node Splitting Mail
12641 @subsection Splitting Mail
12642 @cindex splitting mail
12643 @cindex mail splitting
12645 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12646 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12647 to be split into groups.
12650 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12651 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12652 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12653 ("mail.other" "")))
12656 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12657 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12658 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12659 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12660 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12661 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12662 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12665 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12668 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12669 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12670 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12671 mail belongs in that group.
12673 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12674 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12675 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12676 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12677 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12678 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12680 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12681 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12682 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12683 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12684 thinks should carry this mail message.
12686 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12687 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12688 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12689 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12691 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12692 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12693 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12694 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12695 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12697 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12700 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12701 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12702 links. If that's the case for you, set
12703 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12704 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12706 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12707 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12708 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12709 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12710 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12711 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12714 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12715 Header lines longer than the value of
12716 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12719 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12720 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12721 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12722 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12723 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12724 can be turned off completely by binding
12725 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12726 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12728 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12729 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12730 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12731 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12732 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12733 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12734 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12737 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12738 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12739 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12740 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12741 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12742 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12743 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12744 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12745 month's rent money.
12749 @subsection Mail Sources
12751 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12752 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12756 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12757 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12758 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12762 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12763 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12765 @cindex mail server
12768 @cindex mail source
12770 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12771 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12776 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12779 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12780 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12781 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12784 The following mail source types are available:
12788 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12794 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12795 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12796 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12799 An example file mail source:
12802 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12805 Or using the default path:
12811 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12812 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12813 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12816 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12820 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12823 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12827 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12830 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12832 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12835 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12839 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12840 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12841 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12842 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12843 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12844 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12845 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12846 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12847 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12848 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12850 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12851 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12852 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12853 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12859 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12863 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12867 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12868 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12869 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12870 predicate are considered.
12874 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12878 An example directory mail source:
12881 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12886 Get mail from a POP server.
12892 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12893 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12896 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12897 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12898 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12899 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12900 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12903 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12907 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12911 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12912 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12915 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12918 The valid format specifier characters are:
12922 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12923 included in this string.
12926 The name of the server.
12929 The port number of the server.
12932 The user name to use.
12935 The password to use.
12938 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12939 corresponding keywords.
12942 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12943 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12946 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12947 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12950 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12951 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12954 @item :authentication
12955 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12956 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12960 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
12961 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
12962 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
12963 programs and libraries:
12967 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
12968 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
12969 library @samp{ssl.el}.
12971 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
12972 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
12977 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
12978 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
12982 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12983 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12985 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12986 default user name, and default fetcher:
12992 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12995 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12996 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12999 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13002 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13006 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13007 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13008 contains exactly one mail.
13014 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13015 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13018 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13019 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13021 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13022 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13023 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13026 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13027 from locking problems).
13031 Two example maildir mail sources:
13034 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13035 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13039 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13044 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13045 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13046 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13047 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13050 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
13051 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13057 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13058 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13061 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13062 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
13065 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13069 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13073 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13074 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13075 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13076 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13078 @item :authentication
13079 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13080 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13081 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13082 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13085 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13086 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
13087 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13093 The valid format specifier characters are:
13097 The name of the server.
13100 User name from `imap-default-user'.
13103 The port number of the server.
13106 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13107 corresponding keywords.
13110 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13111 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13114 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13115 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13116 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13117 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13118 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13119 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13122 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13123 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13124 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13125 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13128 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13129 after finishing the fetch.
13133 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13136 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13138 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13142 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13143 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13144 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13146 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13147 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13149 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13155 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13156 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13159 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13163 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13167 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13168 folder after finishing the fetch.
13172 An example webmail source:
13175 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13177 :password "secret")
13182 @item Common Keywords
13183 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13189 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13190 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13194 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13199 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13200 useful when you use local mail and news.
13205 @subsubsection Function Interface
13207 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13208 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13209 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13210 consider the following mail-source setting:
13213 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13214 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13217 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13218 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13219 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13220 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13221 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13223 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13226 @node Mail Source Customization
13227 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13229 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13230 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13234 @item mail-source-crash-box
13235 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13236 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13237 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13239 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13240 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13241 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13243 @item mail-source-directory
13244 @vindex mail-source-directory
13245 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13246 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13247 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13250 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13251 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13252 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13253 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13254 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13255 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13257 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13258 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13259 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13261 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13262 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13263 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13264 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13269 @node Fetching Mail
13270 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13272 @vindex mail-sources
13273 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13274 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13275 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13276 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13278 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13279 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13282 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13283 mail server, you'd say something like:
13288 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13289 :password "secret")))
13292 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13296 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13297 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13300 :password "secret")))
13304 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13305 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13306 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13307 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13308 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13309 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13313 @node Mail Back End Variables
13314 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13316 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13320 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13321 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13322 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13323 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13325 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13326 @item nnmail-split-hook
13327 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13328 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13329 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13330 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13331 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13332 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13333 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13334 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13335 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13338 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13339 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13340 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13341 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13342 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13343 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13344 starting to handle the new mail) and
13345 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13346 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13347 default file modes the new mail files get:
13350 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13351 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13353 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13354 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13357 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13358 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13359 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13360 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13361 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13362 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13363 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13365 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13366 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13367 @findex delete-file
13368 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13370 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13371 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13372 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13373 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13374 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13376 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13377 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13378 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13379 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13380 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13382 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13383 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13384 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13389 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13390 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13391 @cindex mail splitting
13392 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13394 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13395 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13396 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13397 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13398 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13399 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13401 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13404 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13405 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13406 ;; from real errors.
13407 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13409 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13410 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13411 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13412 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13413 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13414 ;; Other mailing lists...
13415 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13416 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13417 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13418 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13419 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13420 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13421 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13422 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13424 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13425 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13429 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13430 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13431 the five possible split syntaxes:
13436 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13437 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13441 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13442 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13443 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13444 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13445 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13446 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13447 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13448 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13451 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13452 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13453 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13454 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13457 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13458 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13461 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13462 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13465 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13466 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13467 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13468 function should return a @var{split}.
13471 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13472 body of the messages:
13475 (defun split-on-body ()
13477 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13478 (goto-char (point-min))
13479 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13483 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13484 when the @code{:} function is run.
13487 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13488 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13489 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13493 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13497 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13498 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13499 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13500 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13501 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13503 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13504 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13505 are expanded as specified by the variable
13506 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13507 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13510 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13511 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13512 when all this splitting is performed.
13514 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13515 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13516 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13519 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13522 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13523 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13525 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13526 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13527 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13528 groupings 1 through 9.
13530 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13531 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13532 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13533 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13534 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13535 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13536 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13537 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13538 it once per thread.
13540 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13541 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13542 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13545 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13546 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13548 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13549 ;; other splits go here
13553 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13554 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13555 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13556 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13557 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13558 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13559 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13560 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13561 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13562 unless the group name matches the regexp
13563 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13564 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13565 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13566 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13567 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13568 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13569 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13570 messages goes into the new group.
13572 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13573 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13574 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13575 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13576 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13580 @node Group Mail Splitting
13581 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13582 @cindex mail splitting
13583 @cindex group mail splitting
13585 @findex gnus-group-split
13586 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13587 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13588 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13589 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13590 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13591 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13592 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13593 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13595 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13596 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13597 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13598 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13600 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13601 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13602 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13603 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13604 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13605 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13606 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13608 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13609 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13610 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13611 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13612 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13613 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13614 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13616 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13617 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13618 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13619 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13620 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13621 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13622 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13623 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13624 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13625 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13626 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13627 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13628 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13630 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13635 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13636 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13638 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13639 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13640 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13641 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13643 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13646 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13647 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13648 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13651 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13652 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13653 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13657 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13658 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13659 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13663 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13666 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13667 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13668 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13669 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13670 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13671 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13672 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13673 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13674 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13676 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13677 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13678 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13679 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13680 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13681 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13682 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13683 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13684 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13686 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13687 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13688 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13689 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13690 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13691 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13694 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13697 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13698 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13699 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13700 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13701 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13704 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13705 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13706 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13707 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13709 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13710 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13711 @cindex incorporating old mail
13712 @cindex import old mail
13714 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13715 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13716 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13719 Doing so can be quite easy.
13721 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13722 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13723 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13724 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13725 your @code{nnml} groups.
13731 Go to the group buffer.
13734 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13735 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13738 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13741 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13742 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13745 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13746 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13749 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13750 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13751 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13752 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13753 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13755 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13756 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13757 using the new mail back end.
13760 @node Expiring Mail
13761 @subsection Expiring Mail
13762 @cindex article expiry
13764 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13765 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13766 different approach to mail reading.
13768 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13769 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13770 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13771 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13772 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13773 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13776 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13777 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13778 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13779 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13780 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13781 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13782 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13783 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13784 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13786 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13787 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13788 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13789 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13790 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13791 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13792 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13795 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13796 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13797 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13798 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13799 into its own group.)
13801 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13802 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13803 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13804 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13805 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13806 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13807 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13808 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13811 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13812 Groups that match the regular expression
13813 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13814 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13815 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13817 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13818 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13819 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13820 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13821 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13823 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13825 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13826 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13827 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13830 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13831 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13832 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13833 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13834 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13836 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13837 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13840 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13841 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13844 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13845 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13847 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13848 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13849 don't really mix very well.
13851 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13852 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13853 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13854 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13857 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13858 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13859 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13860 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13863 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13865 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13867 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13869 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13871 ((string= group "important")
13877 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13878 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13880 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13881 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13882 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13885 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13886 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13888 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13889 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13890 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13891 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13892 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13893 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13894 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13895 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13896 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13897 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13898 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13899 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13900 name or @code{delete}.
13902 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13904 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13907 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13908 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13909 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13910 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13911 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13914 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13915 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13916 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13917 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13918 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13921 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13922 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13923 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13924 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13925 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13926 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13928 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13929 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13930 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13931 easier for procmail users.
13933 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13934 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13935 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13936 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13937 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13938 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13939 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13940 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13941 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13942 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13943 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13944 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13945 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13948 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13950 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13951 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13952 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13953 auto-expire turned on.
13957 @subsection Washing Mail
13958 @cindex mail washing
13959 @cindex list server brain damage
13960 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13962 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13963 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13964 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13965 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13966 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13967 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13969 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13970 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13971 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13974 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13975 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13976 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13977 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13980 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13981 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13982 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13983 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13984 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13987 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13988 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13989 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13990 Emacs running on MS machines.
13994 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13995 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13996 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13997 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14000 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14001 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14002 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14003 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14005 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14006 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14007 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14008 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14009 into a feature by documenting it.)
14011 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14012 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14013 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14014 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14015 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14016 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14017 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14020 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14021 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14024 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14025 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14028 This can also be done non-destructively with
14029 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14031 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14032 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14033 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14035 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14036 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14038 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14039 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14040 @code{References} headers.
14044 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14045 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14046 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14050 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14051 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14052 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14059 @subsection Duplicates
14061 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14062 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14063 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14064 @cindex duplicate mails
14065 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14066 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14067 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14068 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14069 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14070 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14071 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14072 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14073 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14074 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14075 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14076 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14077 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14079 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14080 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14081 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14082 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14084 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14087 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14088 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14092 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14093 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14094 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14095 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14096 (any mail "mail.misc")
14103 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14104 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14109 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14110 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14111 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14112 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14113 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14116 @node Not Reading Mail
14117 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14119 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14120 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14121 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14123 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14124 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14125 mail, which should help.
14127 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14128 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14129 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14130 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14131 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14132 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14133 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14134 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14135 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14136 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14137 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14139 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14140 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14144 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14145 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14147 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14148 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14149 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14151 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14152 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14153 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14154 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14155 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14156 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14157 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14160 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14161 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14162 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14163 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14164 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14165 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14169 @node Unix Mail Box
14170 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14172 @cindex unix mail box
14174 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14175 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14176 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14177 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14178 which group it belongs in.
14180 Virtual server settings:
14183 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14184 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14185 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14188 @item nnmbox-active-file
14189 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14190 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14191 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14193 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14194 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14195 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14196 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14201 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14205 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14206 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14207 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14208 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14209 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14211 Virtual server settings:
14214 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14215 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14216 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14218 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14219 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14220 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14221 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14223 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14224 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14225 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14231 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14233 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14235 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14236 format. It should be used with some caution.
14238 @vindex nnml-directory
14239 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14240 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14241 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14242 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14244 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14247 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14248 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14249 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14250 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14251 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14252 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14253 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14254 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14256 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14257 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14258 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14259 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14261 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14263 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14264 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14265 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14266 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14267 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14268 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14269 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14270 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14273 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14274 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14275 them next time it starts.
14277 Virtual server settings:
14280 @item nnml-directory
14281 @vindex nnml-directory
14282 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14283 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14286 @item nnml-active-file
14287 @vindex nnml-active-file
14288 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14289 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14291 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14292 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14293 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14294 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14296 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14297 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14298 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14301 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14302 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14303 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14304 default is @code{nil}.
14306 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14307 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14308 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14310 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14311 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14312 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14314 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14315 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14316 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14317 default is @code{nil}.
14319 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14320 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14321 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14323 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14324 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14325 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14330 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14331 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14332 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14333 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14334 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14335 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14336 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14341 @subsubsection MH Spool
14343 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14345 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14346 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14347 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14348 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14350 Virtual server settings:
14353 @item nnmh-directory
14354 @vindex nnmh-directory
14355 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14356 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14359 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14360 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14361 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14365 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14366 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14367 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14368 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14369 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14370 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14371 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14376 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14378 @cindex mbox folders
14379 @cindex mail folders
14381 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14382 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14383 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14386 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14388 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14389 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14390 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14391 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14392 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14393 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14394 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14395 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14396 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14397 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14399 Virtual server settings:
14402 @item nnfolder-directory
14403 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14404 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14405 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14408 @item nnfolder-active-file
14409 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14410 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14412 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14413 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14414 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14415 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14417 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14418 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14419 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14422 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14423 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14424 @cindex backup files
14425 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14426 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14427 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14428 your @file{.emacs} file:
14431 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14432 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14434 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14437 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14438 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14439 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14440 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14441 extract some information from it before removing it.
14443 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14444 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14445 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14446 default is @code{nil}.
14448 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14449 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14450 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14452 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14453 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14454 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14455 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14457 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14458 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14459 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14460 default is @code{nil}.
14462 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14463 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14464 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14466 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14467 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14468 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14469 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14474 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14475 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14476 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14477 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14478 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14479 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14482 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14483 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14485 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14486 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14487 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14488 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14489 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14491 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14492 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14493 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14494 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14495 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14496 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14497 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14498 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14501 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14502 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14503 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14504 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14509 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14510 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14511 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14512 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14513 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14514 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14515 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14516 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14517 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14518 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14519 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14520 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14521 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14526 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14527 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14528 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14529 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14530 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14531 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14532 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14533 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14534 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14535 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14536 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14537 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14538 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14539 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14541 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14542 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14547 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14548 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14549 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14550 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14551 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14552 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14553 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14554 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14555 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14556 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14557 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14558 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14559 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14560 provided by the active file and overviews.
14562 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14563 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14564 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14565 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14566 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14569 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14570 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14575 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14576 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14577 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14578 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14579 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14580 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14581 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14585 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14586 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14587 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14588 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14589 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14590 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14591 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14592 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14593 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14595 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14596 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14597 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14598 friendly mail back end all over.
14602 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14603 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14604 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14605 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14606 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14607 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14608 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14609 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14612 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14613 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14614 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14615 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14616 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14617 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14618 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14619 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14620 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14621 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14622 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14624 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14625 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14626 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14627 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14628 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14629 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14630 This will probably be changed in the future.
14632 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14633 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14634 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14635 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14636 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14639 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14640 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14642 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14643 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14644 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14645 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14646 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14647 would) to make it use less memory.
14649 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14650 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14651 depending in part on your file system.
14653 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14654 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14659 @node Browsing the Web
14660 @section Browsing the Web
14662 @cindex browsing the web
14666 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14667 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14668 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14669 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14670 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14671 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14672 even know what a news group is.
14674 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14675 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14676 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14677 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14678 you mad in the end.
14680 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14683 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14684 interfaces to these sources.
14688 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14689 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14690 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14691 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14692 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14693 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14696 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14698 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14699 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14700 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14701 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14702 though, you should be ok.
14704 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14705 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14706 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14707 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14708 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14710 @node Archiving Mail
14711 @subsection Archiving Mail
14712 @cindex archiving mail
14713 @cindex backup of mail
14715 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14716 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14717 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14718 marks is fairly simple.
14720 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14721 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14724 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14725 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14726 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14727 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14728 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14729 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14730 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14731 before you restore the data.
14733 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14734 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14735 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14736 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14737 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14738 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14739 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14740 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14741 is unnecessary in that case.
14744 @subsection Web Searches
14749 @cindex Usenet searches
14750 @cindex searching the Usenet
14752 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14753 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14754 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14755 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14756 searches without having to use a browser.
14758 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14759 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14760 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14761 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14762 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14764 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14765 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14766 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14767 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14768 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14769 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14770 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14771 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14772 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14773 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14776 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14777 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14778 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14779 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14780 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14781 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14783 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14784 to use @code{nnweb}.
14786 Virtual server variables:
14791 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14792 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14793 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14796 @vindex nnweb-search
14797 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14799 @item nnweb-max-hits
14800 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14801 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14804 @item nnweb-type-definition
14805 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14806 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14807 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14812 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14816 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14819 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14822 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14826 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14833 @subsection Slashdot
14837 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14838 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14839 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14841 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14842 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14845 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14846 '((nnslashdot "")))
14849 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14850 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14851 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14852 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14853 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14856 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14857 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14859 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14860 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14861 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14862 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14863 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14864 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14867 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14870 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14871 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14872 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14873 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14874 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14875 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14876 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
14878 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14879 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14880 The login name to use when posting.
14882 @item nnslashdot-password
14883 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14884 The password to use when posting.
14886 @item nnslashdot-directory
14887 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14888 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14889 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14891 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14892 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14893 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14894 news articles and comments. The default is
14895 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14897 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14898 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14899 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14901 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14903 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14904 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14905 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14907 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14909 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14910 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14911 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14913 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14914 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14915 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14916 updated. The default is 0.
14923 @subsection Ultimate
14925 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14927 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14928 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14929 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14930 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14932 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14933 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14934 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14935 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14936 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14937 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14938 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14940 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14943 @item nnultimate-directory
14944 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14945 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14946 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14951 @subsection Web Archive
14953 @cindex Web Archive
14955 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14956 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14957 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14958 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14961 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14962 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14963 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14964 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14965 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14966 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14967 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14969 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14972 @item nnwarchive-directory
14973 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14974 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14975 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14977 @item nnwarchive-login
14978 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14979 The account name on the web server.
14981 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14982 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14983 The password for your account on the web server.
14991 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14992 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14993 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14996 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14997 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15000 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15003 @item nnrss-directory
15004 @vindex nnrss-directory
15005 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15006 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
15010 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15011 the summary buffer.
15014 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15015 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15017 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15019 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15020 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15023 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15026 (require 'browse-url)
15028 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15030 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15033 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15034 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15037 (browse-url (cdr url))
15038 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15039 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15041 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15042 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15043 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15044 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15047 @node Customizing w3
15048 @subsection Customizing w3
15054 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15055 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15056 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15058 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15059 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15060 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15063 (eval-after-load "w3"
15065 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15066 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15067 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15068 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15070 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15073 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15074 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15083 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
15084 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15085 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15086 specify the network address of the server.
15088 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15089 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15090 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15091 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15092 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15094 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15095 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15096 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15097 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15099 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15100 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15101 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15102 usage explained in this section.
15104 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15105 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15106 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15109 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15110 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15111 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15113 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15114 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15115 ; a UW server running on localhost
15117 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15118 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15119 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15120 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15121 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15122 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15123 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15124 (nnimap-stream network))
15125 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15127 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15128 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15129 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15132 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15137 @item nnimap-address
15138 @vindex nnimap-address
15140 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15141 server name if not specified.
15143 @item nnimap-server-port
15144 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15145 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15147 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15150 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15151 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15154 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15155 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15156 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15157 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15158 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15159 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15160 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15162 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15163 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15164 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15167 Example server specification:
15170 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15171 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15172 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15175 @item nnimap-stream
15176 @vindex nnimap-stream
15177 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15178 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15179 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15180 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15182 Example server specification:
15185 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15186 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15189 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15193 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15194 @samp{imtest} program.
15196 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15198 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15199 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15202 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15203 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15204 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15206 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15208 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15211 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15212 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15213 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15214 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15215 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15216 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15217 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15218 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15219 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15222 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15223 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15224 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15225 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15226 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15227 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15228 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15229 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15230 distribution, for instance).
15232 @vindex imap-shell-program
15233 @vindex imap-shell-host
15234 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15235 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15237 @item nnimap-authenticator
15238 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15240 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15241 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15243 Example server specification:
15246 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15247 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15250 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15254 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15255 external program @code{imtest}.
15257 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15260 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15261 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15263 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15265 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15267 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15270 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15272 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15273 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15274 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15275 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15276 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15277 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15280 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15281 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15282 running in circles yet?
15284 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15285 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15288 The possible options are:
15293 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15296 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15297 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15298 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15299 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15301 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15306 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15307 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15309 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15310 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15311 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15312 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15313 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15316 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15317 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15320 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15321 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15322 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15323 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15326 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15327 as ticked for other users.
15329 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15331 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15333 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15334 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15335 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15336 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15338 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15339 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15340 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15341 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15343 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15344 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15346 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15347 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15348 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15354 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15355 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15356 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15357 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15358 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15363 @node Splitting in IMAP
15364 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15365 @cindex splitting imap mail
15367 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15368 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15369 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15370 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15371 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15375 Here are the variables of interest:
15379 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15380 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15382 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15384 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15385 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15387 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15389 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15390 @cindex splitting, inbox
15392 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15394 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15395 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15399 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15400 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15403 No nnmail equivalent.
15405 @item nnimap-split-rule
15406 @cindex Splitting, rules
15407 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15409 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15412 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15413 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15414 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15415 Neither did I, we need examples.
15418 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15420 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15421 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15422 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15425 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15426 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15427 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15429 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15430 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15434 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15437 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15438 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15440 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15441 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15442 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15443 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15445 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15446 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15447 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15448 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15449 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15450 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15452 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15453 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15454 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15456 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15457 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15458 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15460 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15462 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15463 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15464 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15467 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15468 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15469 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15470 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15471 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15472 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15475 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15476 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15477 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15478 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15479 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15480 group/function elements.
15482 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15484 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15486 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15488 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15489 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15491 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15492 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15493 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15496 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15497 @cindex splitting, fancy
15498 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15499 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15501 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15502 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15503 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15505 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15506 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15507 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15508 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15513 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15514 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15517 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15521 @node Expiring in IMAP
15522 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15523 @cindex expiring imap mail
15525 Even though @sc{nnimap} is not a proper @sc{nnmail} derived back end,
15526 it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15527 Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do not clone
15528 the @sc{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating @var{nnimap-expiry-wait})
15529 but reuse the @sc{nnmail} variables. What follows below are the
15530 variables used by the @sc{nnimap} expiry process.
15532 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15533 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15534 @sc{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15535 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15536 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15537 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15538 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15539 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15543 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15544 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15546 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15547 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15549 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15551 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15552 @sc{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15553 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15554 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15558 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15559 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15560 @cindex editing imap acls
15561 @cindex Access Control Lists
15562 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15564 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15566 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15567 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15568 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15571 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15572 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15573 editing window with detailed instructions.
15575 Some possible uses:
15579 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15580 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15581 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15583 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15584 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15585 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15589 @node Expunging mailboxes
15590 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15594 @cindex Manual expunging
15596 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15598 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15599 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15600 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15602 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15605 @node A note on namespaces
15606 @subsection A note on namespaces
15607 @cindex IMAP namespace
15610 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15611 following text in the RFC:
15614 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15616 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15617 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15618 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15619 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15621 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15622 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15623 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15624 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15625 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15626 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15629 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15630 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15631 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15633 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15634 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15635 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15636 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15637 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15638 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15639 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15640 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15642 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15643 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15644 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15646 @node Other Sources
15647 @section Other Sources
15649 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15650 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15654 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15655 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15656 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15657 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15658 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15662 @node Directory Groups
15663 @subsection Directory Groups
15665 @cindex directory groups
15667 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15668 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15671 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15672 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15673 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15674 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15676 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15677 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15678 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15679 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15680 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15682 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15684 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15685 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15686 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15687 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15690 @node Anything Groups
15691 @subsection Anything Groups
15694 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15695 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15696 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15699 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15700 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15701 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15702 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15703 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15704 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15705 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15706 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15707 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15708 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15711 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15712 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15713 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15714 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15716 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15717 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15718 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15719 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15721 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15722 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15723 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15724 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15725 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15726 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15727 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15728 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15733 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15734 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15735 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15736 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15738 @item nneething-exclude-files
15739 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15740 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15741 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15743 @item nneething-include-files
15744 @vindex nneething-include-files
15745 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15746 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15748 @item nneething-map-file
15749 @vindex nneething-map-file
15750 Name of the map files.
15754 @node Document Groups
15755 @subsection Document Groups
15757 @cindex documentation group
15760 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15761 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15768 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15773 The standard Unix mbox file.
15775 @cindex MMDF mail box
15777 The MMDF mail box format.
15780 Several news articles appended into a file.
15783 @cindex rnews batch files
15784 The rnews batch transport format.
15785 @cindex forwarded messages
15788 Forwarded articles.
15791 Netscape mail boxes.
15794 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15796 @item standard-digest
15797 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15800 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15802 @item lanl-gov-announce
15803 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15805 @item rfc822-forward
15806 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15809 The Outlook mail box.
15812 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15815 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15818 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15821 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15827 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15830 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15836 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15837 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15838 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15841 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15842 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15843 group. And that's it.
15845 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15846 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15847 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15848 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15849 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15850 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15851 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15852 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15853 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15854 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15856 Virtual server variables:
15859 @item nndoc-article-type
15860 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15861 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15862 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15863 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15864 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15865 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15867 @item nndoc-post-type
15868 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15869 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15870 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15875 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15879 @node Document Server Internals
15880 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15882 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15883 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15884 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15885 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15887 First, here's an example document type definition:
15891 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15892 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15895 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15896 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15897 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15898 types can be defined with very few settings:
15901 @item first-article
15902 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15903 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15906 @item article-begin
15907 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15908 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15910 @item head-begin-function
15911 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15914 @item nndoc-head-begin
15915 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15918 @item nndoc-head-end
15919 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15920 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15922 @item body-begin-function
15923 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15927 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15930 @item body-end-function
15931 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15935 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15938 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15939 regexp will be totally ignored.
15943 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15944 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15945 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15946 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15947 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15950 @item prepare-body-function
15951 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15952 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15953 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15955 @item article-transform-function
15956 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15957 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15958 body of the article.
15960 @item generate-head-function
15961 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15962 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15963 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15964 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15968 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15973 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15974 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15975 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15976 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15977 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15978 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15979 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15980 (subtype digest guess))
15983 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15984 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15985 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15986 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15987 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15989 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15990 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15991 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15992 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15993 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
15994 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15995 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15996 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15997 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15998 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16006 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16007 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16008 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16010 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16011 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16012 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16015 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16016 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16017 that interested in doing things properly.
16019 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16020 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16023 First some terminology:
16028 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16029 get news and/or mail from.
16032 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16033 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16036 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16040 @item message packets
16041 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16042 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16043 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16045 @item response packets
16046 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16047 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16048 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16058 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16059 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16060 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16061 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16064 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16067 You put the packet in your home directory.
16070 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16071 the native or secondary server.
16074 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16075 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16078 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16082 You transfer this packet to the server.
16085 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16088 You then repeat until you die.
16092 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16093 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16096 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16097 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16098 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16102 @node SOUP Commands
16103 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16105 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16109 @kindex G s b (Group)
16110 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16111 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16112 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16113 process/prefix convention.
16116 @kindex G s w (Group)
16117 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16118 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16121 @kindex G s s (Group)
16122 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16123 Send all replies from the replies packet
16124 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16127 @kindex G s p (Group)
16128 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16129 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16132 @kindex G s r (Group)
16133 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16134 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16137 @kindex O s (Summary)
16138 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16139 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16140 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16141 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16146 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16151 @item gnus-soup-directory
16152 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16153 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16154 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16156 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16157 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16158 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16159 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16161 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16162 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16163 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16164 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16166 @item gnus-soup-packer
16167 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16168 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16169 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16171 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16172 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16173 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16174 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16176 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16177 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16178 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16180 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16181 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16182 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16183 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16189 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16192 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16193 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16194 you can read them at leisure.
16196 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16200 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16201 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16202 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16203 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16205 @item nnsoup-directory
16206 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16207 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16208 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16210 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16211 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16212 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16213 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16215 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16216 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16217 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16218 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16219 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16221 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16222 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16223 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16224 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16226 @item nnsoup-active-file
16227 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16228 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16229 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16230 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16231 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16233 @item nnsoup-packer
16234 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16235 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16236 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16238 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16239 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16240 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16241 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16243 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16244 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16245 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16248 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16249 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16250 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16253 @item nnsoup-always-save
16254 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16255 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16261 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16263 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16264 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16265 more for that to happen.
16267 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16268 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16269 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16272 In specific, this is what it does:
16275 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16276 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16279 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16280 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16281 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16284 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16285 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16286 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16289 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16290 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16291 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16293 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16299 @item nngateway-address
16300 @vindex nngateway-address
16301 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16303 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16304 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16305 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16306 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16307 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16308 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16309 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16312 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16313 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16314 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16317 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16320 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16323 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16326 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16328 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16331 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16332 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16333 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16335 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16337 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16338 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16339 @code{nngateway-address}.
16344 (setq gnus-post-method
16346 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16347 (nngateway-header-transformation
16348 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16356 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16359 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16364 @node Combined Groups
16365 @section Combined Groups
16367 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16371 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16372 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16376 @node Virtual Groups
16377 @subsection Virtual Groups
16379 @cindex virtual groups
16380 @cindex merging groups
16382 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16385 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16386 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16387 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16389 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16390 regexp to match component groups.
16392 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16393 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16394 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16395 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16396 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16397 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16398 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16399 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16401 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16402 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16405 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16408 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16409 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16411 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16412 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16413 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16414 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16417 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16420 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16421 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16422 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16424 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16425 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16426 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16427 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16428 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16430 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16431 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16432 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16434 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16435 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16436 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16437 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16438 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16439 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16440 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16441 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16442 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16443 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16444 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16446 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16447 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16448 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16449 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16450 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16451 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16452 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16454 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16455 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16457 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16458 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16462 @node Kibozed Groups
16463 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16467 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16468 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16469 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16470 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16472 @kindex G k (Group)
16473 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16476 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16477 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16478 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16479 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16481 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16482 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16483 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16485 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16486 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16487 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16488 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16489 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16490 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16491 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16492 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16494 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16495 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16496 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16497 Stranger things have happened.
16499 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16500 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16502 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16503 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16504 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16505 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16506 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16507 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16509 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16510 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16513 @node Gnus Unplugged
16514 @section Gnus Unplugged
16519 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16521 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16522 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16523 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16524 read news. Believe it or not.
16526 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16527 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16528 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16529 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16530 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16532 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16533 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16534 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16535 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16536 reading news on a machine.
16538 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16539 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16541 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16544 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16545 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16546 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16547 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16548 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16549 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16550 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16551 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16552 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16553 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16554 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16559 @subsection Agent Basics
16561 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16563 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16564 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16565 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16566 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16568 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16569 connected to the net continuously.
16571 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16572 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16574 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16579 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16580 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16581 already fetched while in this mode.
16584 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16585 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16586 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16587 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16588 Source Specifiers}).
16591 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16592 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16593 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16594 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16595 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16598 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16599 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16600 then you read the news offline.
16603 And then you go to step 2.
16606 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16612 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16613 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16614 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16615 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16616 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16617 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16618 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16619 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16622 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16629 @node Agent Categories
16630 @subsection Agent Categories
16632 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16633 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16634 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16635 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16636 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16637 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16638 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16640 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16641 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16642 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16643 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16644 managing categories.
16647 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16648 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16649 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16653 @node Category Syntax
16654 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16656 A category consists of two things.
16660 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16661 are eligible for downloading; and
16664 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16665 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16666 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16669 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16670 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16671 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16672 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16674 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16675 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16676 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16678 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16679 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16680 operators sprinkled in between.
16682 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16684 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16685 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16691 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16692 short (for some value of ``short'').
16694 Here's a more complex predicate:
16703 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16704 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16707 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16708 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16709 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16711 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16712 you want to do, you can write your own.
16716 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16717 lines; default 100.
16720 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16721 lines; default 200.
16724 True iff the article has a download score less than
16725 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16728 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16729 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16732 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16733 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16734 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16743 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16744 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16745 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16748 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16749 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16750 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16751 something along the lines of the following:
16754 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16755 "Say whether an article is old."
16756 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16757 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16760 with the predicate then defined as:
16763 (not my-article-old-p)
16766 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16767 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16771 (require 'gnus-agent)
16772 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16773 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16774 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16777 and simply specify your predicate as:
16783 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16784 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16785 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16786 just don't give a damn.
16788 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16789 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16790 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16791 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16792 parameters like so:
16795 (agent-predicate . short)
16798 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16799 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16800 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16802 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16805 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16808 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16809 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16810 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16813 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16814 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16815 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16816 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16817 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16818 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16820 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16821 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16822 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16823 if it's to be specific to that group.
16825 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16832 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16833 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16839 Category specification
16843 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16849 Group Parameter specification
16852 (agent-score ("from"
16853 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16858 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16864 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16871 Category specification
16874 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16880 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16884 Group Parameter specification
16887 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16890 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16895 Use @code{normal} score files
16897 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16898 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16899 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16900 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16902 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16903 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16904 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16905 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16909 Category Specification
16916 Group Parameter specification
16919 (agent-score . file)
16924 @node Category Buffer
16925 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16927 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16928 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16929 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16931 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16935 @kindex q (Category)
16936 @findex gnus-category-exit
16937 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16940 @kindex k (Category)
16941 @findex gnus-category-kill
16942 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16945 @kindex c (Category)
16946 @findex gnus-category-copy
16947 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16950 @kindex a (Category)
16951 @findex gnus-category-add
16952 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16955 @kindex p (Category)
16956 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16957 Edit the predicate of the current category
16958 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16961 @kindex g (Category)
16962 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16963 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16964 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16967 @kindex s (Category)
16968 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16969 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16970 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16973 @kindex l (Category)
16974 @findex gnus-category-list
16975 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16979 @node Category Variables
16980 @subsubsection Category Variables
16983 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16984 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16985 Hook run in category buffers.
16987 @item gnus-category-line-format
16988 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16989 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16990 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16994 The name of the category.
16997 The number of groups in the category.
17000 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17001 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17002 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17004 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17005 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17006 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17008 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17009 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17010 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17012 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17013 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17014 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17017 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17018 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17019 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17025 @node Agent Commands
17026 @subsection Agent Commands
17028 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17029 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17030 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17034 * Group Agent Commands::
17035 * Summary Agent Commands::
17036 * Server Agent Commands::
17042 @node Group Agent Commands
17043 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17047 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17048 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17049 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17050 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17053 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17054 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17055 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17058 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17059 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17060 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17061 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17064 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17065 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17066 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17067 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17070 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17071 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17072 Add the current group to an Agent category
17073 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17074 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17077 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17078 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17079 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17080 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17081 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17084 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17085 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17086 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17092 @node Summary Agent Commands
17093 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17097 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17098 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17099 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17102 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17103 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17104 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17105 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17108 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17109 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17110 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
17113 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17114 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17115 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
17118 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17119 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17120 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17121 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17126 @node Server Agent Commands
17127 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17131 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17132 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17133 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17134 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17137 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17138 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17139 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17140 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17145 @node Agent as Cache
17146 @subsection Agent as Cache
17148 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17149 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17150 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17151 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17152 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17153 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17154 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17155 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17156 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17158 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17159 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17162 @subsection Agent Expiry
17164 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17165 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17166 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17167 @cindex Agent expiry
17168 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17171 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17172 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17173 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17174 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17175 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17176 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17178 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17179 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17180 expiry in different groups.
17183 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17189 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17190 method---it must always match all groups.
17192 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17193 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17194 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17195 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17196 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17198 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17199 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17200 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17201 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17203 @node Agent and IMAP
17204 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17206 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17207 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17208 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17209 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17211 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17212 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
17213 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17214 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17216 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17217 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17218 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17219 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17221 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17222 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17223 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17224 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17225 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17226 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17228 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17229 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17230 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17231 in the group buffer.
17233 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17234 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17239 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17242 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17246 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17247 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17248 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17249 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17250 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17251 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17252 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17253 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17256 @node Outgoing Messages
17257 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17259 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17260 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17261 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17263 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17264 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17265 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17266 messages in the draft group.
17270 @node Agent Variables
17271 @subsection Agent Variables
17274 @item gnus-agent-directory
17275 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17276 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17277 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17279 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17280 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17281 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17282 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17283 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17286 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17287 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17288 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17290 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17291 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17292 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17294 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17295 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17296 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17298 @item gnus-agent-cache
17299 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17300 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17301 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17302 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17304 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17305 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17306 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17307 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17308 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17309 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17310 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17313 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17314 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17315 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17316 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17317 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17318 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17319 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17320 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17321 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17326 @node Example Setup
17327 @subsection Example Setup
17329 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17330 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17331 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17334 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17335 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17336 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17338 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17339 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17340 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17342 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17343 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17345 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17346 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17347 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17350 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17351 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17354 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17355 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17356 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17357 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17358 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17361 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17362 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17363 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17364 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17365 back all the killed groups.)
17367 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17368 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17369 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17372 @node Batching Agents
17373 @subsection Batching Agents
17375 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17376 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17377 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17379 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
17380 following incantation:
17384 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
17388 @node Agent Caveats
17389 @subsection Agent Caveats
17391 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17392 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17396 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17398 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
17399 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
17400 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
17402 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17404 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17408 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17409 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17410 locally stored articles.
17417 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17418 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17419 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17422 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17423 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17424 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17425 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17426 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17428 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17429 before generating the summary buffer.
17431 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17432 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17433 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17435 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17436 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17437 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17438 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17441 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17442 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17443 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17444 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17445 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17446 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17447 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17448 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17449 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17450 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17451 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17452 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17453 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17454 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17455 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17456 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17457 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17461 @node Summary Score Commands
17462 @section Summary Score Commands
17463 @cindex score commands
17465 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17466 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17467 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17468 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17469 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17471 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17472 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17473 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17474 score file the current one.
17476 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17481 @kindex V s (Summary)
17482 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17483 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17486 @kindex V S (Summary)
17487 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17488 Display the score of the current article
17489 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17492 @kindex V t (Summary)
17493 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17494 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17495 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17498 @kindex V w (Summary)
17499 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17500 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17503 @kindex V R (Summary)
17504 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17505 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17506 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17507 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17508 effect you're having.
17511 @kindex V c (Summary)
17512 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17513 Make a different score file the current
17514 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17517 @kindex V e (Summary)
17518 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17519 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17520 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17524 @kindex V f (Summary)
17525 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17526 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17527 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17530 @kindex V F (Summary)
17531 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17532 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17533 after editing score files.
17536 @kindex V C (Summary)
17537 @findex gnus-score-customize
17538 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17539 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17543 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17548 @kindex V m (Summary)
17549 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17550 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17551 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17554 @kindex V x (Summary)
17555 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17556 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17557 expunge all articles below this score
17558 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17561 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17562 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17565 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17566 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17570 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17571 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17573 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17574 keys are available:
17578 Score on the author name.
17581 Score on the subject line.
17584 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17587 Score on the @code{References} line.
17593 Score on the number of lines.
17596 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17599 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17600 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17603 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17604 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17605 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17614 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17620 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17621 what headers you are scoring on.
17633 Substring matching.
17636 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17665 Greater than number.
17670 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17671 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17672 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17677 Temporary score entry.
17680 Permanent score entry.
17683 Immediately scoring.
17687 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17688 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17689 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17693 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17694 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17695 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17696 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17698 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17699 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17700 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17701 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17702 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17704 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17705 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17706 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17707 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17708 current score file.
17710 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17711 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17712 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17715 @node Group Score Commands
17716 @section Group Score Commands
17717 @cindex group score commands
17719 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17724 @kindex W f (Group)
17725 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17726 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17727 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17728 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17732 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17734 @findex gnus-batch-score
17735 @cindex batch scoring
17737 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17741 @node Score Variables
17742 @section Score Variables
17743 @cindex score variables
17747 @item gnus-use-scoring
17748 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17749 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17750 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17752 @item gnus-kill-killed
17753 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17754 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17755 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17756 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17757 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17758 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17759 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17761 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17762 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17763 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17764 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17765 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17767 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17768 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17769 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17770 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17772 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17773 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17774 @cindex score cache
17775 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17776 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17777 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
17778 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17779 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17780 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17783 @item gnus-save-score
17784 @vindex gnus-save-score
17785 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17786 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17787 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17789 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17790 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17791 across group visits.
17793 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17794 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17795 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17796 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17797 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17798 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17799 manually entered data.
17801 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17802 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17803 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17805 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17806 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17807 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17808 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17809 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17810 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17812 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17813 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17814 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17815 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17817 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17818 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17819 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17820 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17822 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17823 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17824 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17825 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17827 Predefined functions available are:
17830 @item gnus-score-find-single
17831 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17832 Only apply the group's own score file.
17834 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17835 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17836 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17837 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17838 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17839 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17840 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17841 then a regexp match is done.
17843 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17844 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17846 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17847 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17848 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17849 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17851 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17852 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17853 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17854 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17855 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17859 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17860 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17861 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17862 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17863 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17864 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17865 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17868 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17869 overall score file, you could use the value
17871 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17872 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17875 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17876 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17877 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17878 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17879 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17881 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17882 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17883 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17884 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17885 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17886 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17887 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17888 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17890 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17891 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17892 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17894 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17895 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17896 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17897 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17898 threading---according to the current value of
17899 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17900 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17901 simplified in this manner.
17906 @node Score File Format
17907 @section Score File Format
17908 @cindex score file format
17910 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17911 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17912 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17914 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17918 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17920 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17922 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17924 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17929 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17933 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17934 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17935 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17936 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17940 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17941 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17943 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17944 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17945 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17947 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17952 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17953 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17954 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17955 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17956 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17957 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17958 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17959 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17960 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17961 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17962 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17963 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17964 to articles that matches these score entries.
17966 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17967 score entry has one to four elements.
17971 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17972 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17976 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17977 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17978 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17979 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17980 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17981 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17984 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17985 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17986 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17987 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17988 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17991 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17992 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17993 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17994 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17997 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17998 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17999 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18000 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18001 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18002 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18003 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18004 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18005 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18006 instead, if you feel like.
18009 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18010 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18011 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18012 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18013 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18014 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18017 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18021 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18022 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18024 These predicates are true if
18027 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18030 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18031 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18038 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18039 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18040 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18041 it's not. I think.)
18043 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18044 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18045 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18046 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18049 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18050 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18051 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18052 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18053 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18054 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18055 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18059 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18060 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18061 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18062 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18063 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18064 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18065 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18066 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18069 @item Head, Body, All
18070 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18074 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18075 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18076 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18077 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18078 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18079 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18080 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18084 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18085 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18086 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18087 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18088 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18089 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18090 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18091 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18092 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18093 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18094 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18098 @cindex Score File Atoms
18100 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18101 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18104 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18105 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18107 @item mark-and-expunge
18108 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18109 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18112 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18113 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18114 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18115 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18116 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18119 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18120 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18123 @item exclude-files
18124 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18125 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18129 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18130 ignored when handling global score files.
18133 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18134 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18135 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18136 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18139 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18140 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18141 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18142 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18144 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18148 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18151 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18152 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18153 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18154 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18155 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18157 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18158 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18159 scoring rules exist.
18162 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18163 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18164 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18165 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18166 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18167 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18168 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18169 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18170 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18171 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18172 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18176 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18177 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18178 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18179 file for a number of groups.
18182 @cindex local variables
18183 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18184 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18185 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18186 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18187 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18191 @node Score File Editing
18192 @section Score File Editing
18194 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18195 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18196 with a mode for that.
18198 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18199 additional commands:
18204 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18205 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18206 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18207 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18210 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18211 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18212 Insert the current date in numerical format
18213 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18214 you were wondering.
18217 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18218 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18219 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18220 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18221 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18226 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18228 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18229 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18231 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18232 e} to begin editing score files.
18235 @node Adaptive Scoring
18236 @section Adaptive Scoring
18237 @cindex adaptive scoring
18239 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18240 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18241 stupidity, to be precise.
18243 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18244 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18245 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18246 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18247 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18248 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18249 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18250 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18251 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18253 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18254 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18255 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18256 might look something like this:
18259 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18260 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18261 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18262 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18263 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18264 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18265 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18266 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18267 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18268 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18269 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18270 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18273 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18274 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18275 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18276 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18277 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18278 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18281 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18282 will be applied to each article.
18284 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18285 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18286 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18287 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18289 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18290 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18291 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18292 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18294 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18295 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18296 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18297 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18299 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18300 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18301 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18302 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18303 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18304 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18306 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18307 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18308 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18309 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18310 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18311 aspirins afterwards.)
18313 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18314 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18315 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18317 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18318 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18319 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18321 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18322 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18323 let you use different rules in different groups.
18325 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18326 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18327 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18330 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18331 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18332 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18333 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18334 the length of the match is less than
18335 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18336 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18339 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18340 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18341 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18342 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18343 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18346 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18347 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18348 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18349 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18350 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18353 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18354 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18355 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18356 score with 30 points.
18358 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18359 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18360 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18361 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18362 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18364 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18365 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18366 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18367 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18368 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18370 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18371 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18372 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18373 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18375 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18376 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18377 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18378 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18380 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18381 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18382 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18383 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18384 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18386 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18387 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18388 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18390 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18391 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18392 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18393 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18396 @node Home Score File
18397 @section Home Score File
18399 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18400 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18401 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18402 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18404 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18405 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18406 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18408 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18409 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18414 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18418 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18419 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18423 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18427 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18428 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18431 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18432 the home score file.
18435 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18438 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18443 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18446 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18447 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18450 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18451 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18453 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18455 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18456 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18459 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18460 Other functions include
18463 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18464 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18465 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18466 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18470 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18471 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18472 their own home score files:
18475 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18476 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18477 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18478 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18479 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18482 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18483 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18484 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18485 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18486 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18488 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18489 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18490 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18491 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18492 precedence over this variable.
18495 @node Followups To Yourself
18496 @section Followups To Yourself
18498 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18499 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18500 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18501 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18502 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18503 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18507 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18508 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18509 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18512 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18513 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18514 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18518 @vindex message-sent-hook
18519 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18520 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18522 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18526 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18527 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18531 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18532 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18535 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18536 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18541 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18545 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18546 is system-dependent.
18549 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18550 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18551 @cindex scoring on other headers
18553 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18554 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18555 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18556 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18557 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18559 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18560 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18561 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18562 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18563 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18565 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18568 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18569 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18572 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18573 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18574 time if you have much mail.
18576 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18577 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18583 @section Scoring Tips
18584 @cindex scoring tips
18590 @cindex scoring crossposts
18591 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18592 the @code{Xref} header.
18594 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18597 @item Multiple crossposts
18598 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18599 more than, say, 3 groups:
18602 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18606 @item Matching on the body
18607 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18608 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18609 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18610 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18611 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18612 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18613 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18616 @item Marking as read
18617 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18618 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18619 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18623 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18625 @item Negated character classes
18626 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18627 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18628 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18632 @node Reverse Scoring
18633 @section Reverse Scoring
18634 @cindex reverse scoring
18636 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18637 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18638 like this in your score file:
18642 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18647 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18648 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18651 @node Global Score Files
18652 @section Global Score Files
18653 @cindex global score files
18655 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18656 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18657 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18659 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18660 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18661 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18663 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18664 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18665 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18666 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18667 files are applicable to which group.
18669 To use the score file
18670 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18671 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18675 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18676 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18677 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18680 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18682 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18683 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18684 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18685 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18687 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18688 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18690 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18691 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18692 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18693 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18694 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18695 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18697 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18703 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18705 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18707 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18709 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18710 lowered out of existence.
18712 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18713 articles completely.
18716 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18717 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18718 old articles for a long time.
18721 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18722 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18723 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18724 holding our breath yet?
18728 @section Kill Files
18731 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18732 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18733 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18735 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18736 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18737 files into score files.
18739 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18740 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18741 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18742 that isn't a very good idea.
18744 Normal kill files look like this:
18747 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18748 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18752 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18753 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18755 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18756 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18759 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18764 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18765 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18766 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18769 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18770 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18771 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18774 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18779 @kindex M-k (Group)
18780 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18781 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18784 @kindex M-K (Group)
18785 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18786 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18789 Kill file variables:
18792 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18793 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18794 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18795 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18796 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18797 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18798 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18800 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18801 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18802 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18803 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18806 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18807 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18808 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18809 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18810 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18811 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18812 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18813 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18814 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18816 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18817 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18818 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18823 @node Converting Kill Files
18824 @section Converting Kill Files
18826 @cindex converting kill files
18828 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18829 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18830 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18833 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18834 You can fetch it from
18835 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18837 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18838 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18839 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18847 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18848 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18849 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18850 news articles generated every day.
18852 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18853 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18854 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18855 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18856 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18857 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18858 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18859 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18862 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18863 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18866 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18867 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18868 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18869 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18873 @node Using GroupLens
18874 @subsection Using GroupLens
18876 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18878 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18879 better bit in town at the moment.
18881 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18885 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18886 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18887 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18888 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18890 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18891 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18892 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18893 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18895 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18896 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18897 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18901 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18902 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18903 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18904 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18905 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18906 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18909 @node Rating Articles
18910 @subsection Rating Articles
18912 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18913 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18914 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18915 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18918 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18923 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18924 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18925 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18928 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18929 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18930 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18931 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18932 threads in rec.humor.
18936 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18937 the score of the article you're reading.
18942 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18943 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18944 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18947 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18948 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18949 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18953 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18954 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18957 @node Displaying Predictions
18958 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18960 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18961 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18962 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18963 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18964 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18966 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18967 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18968 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18969 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18970 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18971 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18972 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18973 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18974 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18975 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18976 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18977 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18978 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18980 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18981 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18982 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18983 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18985 The following are valid values for that variable.
18988 @item prediction-spot
18989 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18992 @item confidence-interval
18993 A numeric confidence interval.
18995 @item prediction-bar
18996 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18998 @item confidence-bar
18999 Numerical confidence.
19001 @item confidence-spot
19002 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19004 @item prediction-num
19005 Plain-old numeric value.
19007 @item confidence-plus-minus
19008 Prediction +/- confidence.
19013 @node GroupLens Variables
19014 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19018 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19019 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19020 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19021 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19024 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19025 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19028 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19029 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19031 @item grouplens-score-offset
19032 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19033 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19036 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19037 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19038 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19043 @node Advanced Scoring
19044 @section Advanced Scoring
19046 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19047 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19048 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19049 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19050 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19052 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19056 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19057 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19058 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19062 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19063 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19065 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19066 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19067 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19068 non-@code{nil} value.
19070 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19071 operator, and various match operators.
19078 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19079 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19080 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19085 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19086 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19087 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19092 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19093 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19097 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19098 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19099 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19100 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19101 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19102 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19103 the ancestry you want to go.
19105 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19106 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19107 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19108 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19109 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19112 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19113 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19115 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19116 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19119 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19120 when he's talking about Gnus:
19124 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19125 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19131 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19135 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19142 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19143 really don't want to read what he's written:
19147 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19148 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19152 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19153 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19154 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19161 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19162 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19163 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19164 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19168 The possibilities are endless.
19171 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19172 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19174 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19175 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19176 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19177 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19178 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19179 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19180 @samp{subject}) first.
19182 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19183 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19194 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19195 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19201 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19208 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19209 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19214 @section Score Decays
19215 @cindex score decays
19218 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19219 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19220 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19221 use them in any sensible way.
19223 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19224 @findex gnus-decay-score
19225 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19226 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19227 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19228 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19229 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19230 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19231 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19232 definition of that function:
19235 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19237 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19238 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19241 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19243 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19245 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19248 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19249 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19250 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19251 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19255 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19258 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19261 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19265 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19266 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19267 the new score, which should be an integer.
19269 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19270 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19275 @include message.texi
19276 @chapter Emacs MIME
19277 @include emacs-mime.texi
19279 @include sieve.texi
19281 @c @include pgg.texi
19289 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19290 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19291 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19292 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19293 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19294 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19295 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19296 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19297 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19298 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19299 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19300 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19301 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19302 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19303 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19304 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19305 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19306 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19307 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19311 @node Process/Prefix
19312 @section Process/Prefix
19313 @cindex process/prefix convention
19315 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19316 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19318 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19319 command to be performed on.
19323 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19324 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19325 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19326 with the current one.
19328 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19329 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19330 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19332 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19333 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19336 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19337 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19339 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19342 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19343 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19344 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19345 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19347 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19348 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19349 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19350 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19351 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19352 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19353 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19354 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19356 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19357 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19358 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19359 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19360 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19364 @section Interactive
19365 @cindex interaction
19369 @item gnus-novice-user
19370 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19371 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19372 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19373 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19374 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19377 @item gnus-expert-user
19378 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19379 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19380 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19381 matter how strange.
19383 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19384 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19385 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19386 is @code{t} by default.
19388 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19389 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19390 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19395 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19396 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19397 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19399 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19400 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19401 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19402 rule of 900 to the current article.
19404 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19405 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19406 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19407 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19408 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19409 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19410 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19412 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19413 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19414 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19415 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19416 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19417 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19418 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19419 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19420 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19422 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19423 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19424 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19426 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19430 @node Formatting Variables
19431 @section Formatting Variables
19432 @cindex formatting variables
19434 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19435 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19436 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19437 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19438 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19441 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19442 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19443 lots of percentages everywhere.
19446 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19447 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19448 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19449 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19450 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19451 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19452 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19453 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19456 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19457 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19458 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19459 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19460 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19461 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19462 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19463 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19465 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19466 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19468 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19469 @findex gnus-update-format
19470 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19471 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19472 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19473 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19477 @node Formatting Basics
19478 @subsection Formatting Basics
19480 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19481 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19482 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19484 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19485 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19486 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19487 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19488 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19491 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19492 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19493 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19494 less than 4 characters wide.
19496 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19497 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19500 @node Mode Line Formatting
19501 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19503 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19504 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19505 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19506 with the following two differences:
19511 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19514 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19515 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19516 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19517 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19518 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19519 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19520 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19525 @node Advanced Formatting
19526 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19528 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19529 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19530 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19531 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19533 These are the valid modifiers:
19538 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19542 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19547 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19550 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19555 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19558 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19561 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19564 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19570 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19575 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19576 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19577 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19578 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19579 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19580 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19581 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19583 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19584 last operation, padding.
19586 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19587 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
19588 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
19589 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
19590 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
19591 the look of your lines.
19592 @xref{Compilation}.
19595 @node User-Defined Specs
19596 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19598 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19599 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19600 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19601 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19602 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19603 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19604 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19605 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19606 should protect against that.
19608 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19609 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19611 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19612 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19613 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19614 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19618 @node Formatting Fonts
19619 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19621 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19622 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19623 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19624 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19627 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19628 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19629 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19630 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19631 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19632 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19634 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19635 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19636 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19637 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19638 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19639 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19640 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19641 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19642 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19643 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19645 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19648 ;; Create three face types.
19649 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19650 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19652 ;; We want the article count to be in
19653 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19654 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19655 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19657 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19658 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19660 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19661 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19662 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19665 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19666 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19668 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19669 mode-line variables.
19671 @node Positioning Point
19672 @subsection Positioning Point
19674 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19675 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19676 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19678 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19680 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19681 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19682 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19684 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19685 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
19686 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19691 @subsection Tabulation
19693 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19694 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19695 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19696 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19698 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19699 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19701 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19702 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19703 This is the soft tabulator.
19705 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19706 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19707 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19710 @node Wide Characters
19711 @subsection Wide Characters
19713 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19714 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19715 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19717 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19718 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19719 these countries, that's not true.
19721 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19722 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19723 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19724 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19728 @node Window Layout
19729 @section Window Layout
19730 @cindex window layout
19732 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19734 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19735 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19736 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19737 @code{t} by default.
19739 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19740 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19742 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19743 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19744 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19747 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19748 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19749 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19753 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19754 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19755 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19756 possible names is listed below.
19758 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19759 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19762 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19766 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19767 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19768 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19769 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19770 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19771 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19772 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19773 size spec per split.
19775 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19776 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19777 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19778 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19779 present) gets focus.
19781 Here's a more complicated example:
19784 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19785 (summary 0.25 point)
19786 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19790 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19791 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19792 occupy, not a percentage.
19794 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19795 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19796 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19797 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19798 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19801 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19804 (article (horizontal 1.0
19809 (summary 0.25 point)
19814 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19815 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19817 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19818 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19819 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19820 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19821 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19823 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19824 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19825 lines from the splits.
19827 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19831 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19832 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19833 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19834 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19835 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19836 size = number | frame-params
19837 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19840 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19841 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19842 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19843 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19845 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19846 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19847 @cindex window height
19848 @cindex window width
19849 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19850 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19851 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19852 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19853 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19854 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19856 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19857 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19858 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19859 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19861 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19862 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19863 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19864 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19865 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19866 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19867 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19868 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19869 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19870 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19871 configuration list.
19874 (gnus-configure-frame
19878 (article 0.3 point))
19886 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19887 @code{frame} split:
19890 (gnus-configure-frame
19893 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19895 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19896 (user-position . t)
19897 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19902 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19903 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19904 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19905 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19906 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19907 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19908 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19909 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19911 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19912 be found in its default value.
19914 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19915 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19916 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19920 (message (horizontal 1.0
19921 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19923 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19928 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19929 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19930 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19935 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19936 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19937 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19938 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19939 (name . "Message"))
19940 (message 1.0 point))))
19943 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19944 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19945 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19946 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19947 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19950 (gnus-add-configuration
19951 '(article (vertical 1.0
19953 (summary .25 point)
19957 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19958 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19959 Gnus has been loaded.
19961 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19962 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19963 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19964 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19965 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19967 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19968 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19969 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19972 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19976 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19977 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19992 (gnus-add-configuration
19995 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19997 (summary 0.16 point)
20000 (gnus-add-configuration
20003 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20004 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20010 @node Faces and Fonts
20011 @section Faces and Fonts
20016 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20017 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20018 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20023 @section Compilation
20024 @cindex compilation
20025 @cindex byte-compilation
20027 @findex gnus-compile
20029 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20030 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20031 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
20032 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
20033 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
20034 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20035 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20036 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20039 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20040 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20041 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20042 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
20043 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20046 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
20047 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20048 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
20049 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
20050 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
20055 @section Mode Lines
20058 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20059 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20060 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20061 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20062 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20063 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20064 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20067 @cindex display-time
20069 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20070 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20071 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20072 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20073 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20074 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20075 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20076 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20079 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20081 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20082 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20084 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20085 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20086 (length display-time-string)))))
20089 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20090 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20091 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20092 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20093 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20096 @node Highlighting and Menus
20097 @section Highlighting and Menus
20099 @cindex highlighting
20102 @vindex gnus-visual
20103 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20104 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20105 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20108 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20109 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20112 @item group-highlight
20113 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20114 @item summary-highlight
20115 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20116 @item article-highlight
20117 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20119 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20121 Create menus in the group buffer.
20123 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20125 Create menus in the article buffer.
20127 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20129 Create menus in the server buffer.
20131 Create menus in the score buffers.
20133 Create menus in all buffers.
20136 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20137 buffers, you could say something like:
20140 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20143 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20146 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20149 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20150 in all Gnus buffers.
20152 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20155 @item gnus-mouse-face
20156 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20157 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20158 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20162 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20166 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20167 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20168 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20170 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20171 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20172 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20174 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20175 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20176 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20178 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20179 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20180 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20182 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20183 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20184 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20186 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20187 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20188 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20199 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20200 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20201 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20202 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20203 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20207 @vindex gnus-carpal
20208 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20209 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20210 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20215 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20216 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20217 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20219 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20220 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20221 Face used on buttons.
20223 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20224 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20225 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20227 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20228 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20229 Buttons in the group buffer.
20231 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20232 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20233 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20235 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20236 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20237 Buttons in the server buffer.
20239 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20240 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20241 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20244 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20245 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20246 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20254 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20255 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20256 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20257 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20258 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20260 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20261 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20262 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20264 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20265 been idle for thirty minutes:
20268 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20271 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20275 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20278 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20279 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20280 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20282 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20283 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20284 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20285 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20287 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20288 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20289 @var{idle} minutes.
20291 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20292 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20295 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20296 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20297 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20299 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20300 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20301 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20302 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20304 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20305 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20307 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20309 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20312 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20313 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20314 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20315 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20316 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20317 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20318 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20319 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20320 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20321 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20322 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20324 @findex gnus-demon-init
20325 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20326 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20327 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20328 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20329 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20331 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20332 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20333 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20342 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20343 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20345 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20346 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20347 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20348 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20351 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20352 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20353 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20354 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20356 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20357 this will make spam disappear.
20359 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20362 @item gnus-use-nocem
20363 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20364 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20367 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20368 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20369 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20370 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20371 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20373 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20374 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20375 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20376 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20377 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20378 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20380 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20381 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20383 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20384 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20385 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20386 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20387 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20388 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20389 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20390 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20391 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20392 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20394 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20395 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20398 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20401 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20402 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20405 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20408 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20411 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20412 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20414 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20415 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20416 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20417 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20419 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20420 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20423 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20425 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20433 This might be dangerous, though.
20435 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20436 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20437 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20438 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20440 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20441 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20442 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20443 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20444 might then see old spam.
20446 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20447 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20448 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20449 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20450 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20453 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20454 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20455 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20456 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20460 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20461 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20462 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20463 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20470 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20471 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20472 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20474 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20475 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20476 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20477 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20478 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20479 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20480 @code{undo} function.
20482 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20483 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20484 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20485 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20486 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20487 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20488 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20489 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20490 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20491 never be totally undoable.
20493 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20494 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20496 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20497 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20498 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20499 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20503 @node Predicate Specifiers
20504 @section Predicate Specifiers
20505 @cindex predicate specifiers
20507 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20508 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20509 to type all that much.
20511 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20516 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20517 gnus-article-unread-p)
20520 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20521 functions all take one parameter.
20523 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20524 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20525 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20526 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20531 @section Moderation
20534 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20535 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20536 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20539 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20543 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20546 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20548 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20553 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20554 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20555 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20558 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20559 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20562 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20563 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20567 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20570 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20571 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20575 @node Image Enhancements
20576 @section Image Enhancements
20578 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20579 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20582 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20583 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20584 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20585 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20586 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20599 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20600 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20601 over your shoulder as you read news.
20604 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20605 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20606 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20607 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20608 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20613 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20615 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20624 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20625 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20626 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20627 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20628 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20629 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20630 @code{GIF} formats.
20633 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20634 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20635 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20636 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20637 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20639 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20640 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20641 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20642 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20643 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20644 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20646 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20647 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20650 @node Picon Requirements
20651 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20653 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20654 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20655 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20656 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20658 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20659 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20660 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20661 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20662 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20663 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20666 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20668 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20669 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20672 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20673 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20676 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20677 containing the Picons databases.
20679 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20682 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20683 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20688 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20696 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20697 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20698 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20699 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20700 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20705 @item gnus-picons-database
20706 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20707 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20708 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20709 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20710 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20711 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20713 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20714 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20715 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20716 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20717 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20718 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20719 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20721 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20722 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20723 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20724 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20725 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20726 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20727 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20728 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20730 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20731 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20732 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20737 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20738 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20740 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20741 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20744 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20746 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20747 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20748 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20749 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20751 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20752 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20753 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20754 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20760 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20761 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20769 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20770 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20771 don't need to worry about.
20775 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20776 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20777 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20778 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20780 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20781 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20782 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20783 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20785 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20786 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20787 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20788 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20789 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20791 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20792 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20793 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20794 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20795 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20796 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20797 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20798 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20800 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20801 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20802 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20803 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20804 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20806 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20807 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20808 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20809 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20810 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20811 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20812 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20814 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20815 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20816 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20817 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20819 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20820 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20821 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20822 Defaults to @code{t}.
20824 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20825 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20826 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20827 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20829 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20830 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20831 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20833 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20834 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20835 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20836 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20838 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20839 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20841 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20842 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20843 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20844 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20845 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20846 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20847 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20848 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20859 @subsection Smileys
20864 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20869 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20870 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20872 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20873 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20876 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20879 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20880 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20881 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20882 text and maps that to file names.
20884 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20885 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20886 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20887 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20888 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20889 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20891 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20892 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20894 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20895 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20896 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20898 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20899 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20903 @item smiley-data-directory
20904 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20905 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20907 @item smiley-flesh-color
20908 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20909 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20911 @item smiley-features-color
20912 @vindex smiley-features-color
20913 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20915 @item smiley-tongue-color
20916 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20917 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20919 @item smiley-circle-color
20920 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20921 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20923 @item smiley-mouse-face
20924 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20925 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20934 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20935 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20936 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20940 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20941 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20942 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20943 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20951 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20952 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20953 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20954 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20956 The variable that controls this is the
20957 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20958 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20959 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20960 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20961 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20963 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20964 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20965 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20966 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20969 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20970 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20971 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20972 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20973 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20974 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20975 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20976 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20978 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20981 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20982 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20984 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20985 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
20986 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20987 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20988 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20989 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
20990 header data as a string.
20992 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
20993 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
20994 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
20995 randomly generated data.
20997 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
20998 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20999 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21000 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21002 Here's how you would typically use the second function. Put something
21003 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
21006 (setq message-required-news-headers
21007 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21008 (list '(X-Face . gnus-insert-random-x-face-header))))
21011 Using the last function would be something like this:
21014 (setq message-required-news-headers
21015 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21016 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21017 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21018 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21023 @subsection Toolbar
21033 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21034 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21035 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21036 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21037 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21039 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21040 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21041 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21043 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21044 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21045 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21047 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21048 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21049 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21055 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21058 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21059 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21060 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21061 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21062 unusual directory structure.
21064 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21065 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21066 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21067 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21069 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21070 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21071 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21072 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21073 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21074 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21076 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21077 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21078 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21092 @node Fuzzy Matching
21093 @section Fuzzy Matching
21094 @cindex fuzzy matching
21096 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21097 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21099 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21100 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21101 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21103 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21104 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21105 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21106 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21107 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21110 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21111 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21115 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21117 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21118 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21119 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21120 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21121 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21122 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21123 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21124 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21127 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21128 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21129 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21130 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21131 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21132 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21134 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21137 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21138 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21139 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21140 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21141 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21142 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21145 @node The problem of spam
21146 @subsection The problem of spam
21148 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21149 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21151 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21153 First, some background on spam.
21155 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21156 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21157 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21158 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21159 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21160 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21161 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21162 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21164 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21165 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21166 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21167 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21168 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21169 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21170 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21171 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21172 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21175 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21176 spam messages per day from @email{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21177 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21178 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21179 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21180 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21181 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21182 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21183 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21184 mail can be useful.
21186 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21187 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21188 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21189 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21190 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21191 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21192 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21193 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21194 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21196 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21197 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21198 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21199 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21200 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21201 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21202 because of the incident.
21204 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21205 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21206 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21207 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21208 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21209 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21210 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21211 to store the database of spam analyses.
21213 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21214 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21218 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21220 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21221 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21223 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21224 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21225 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21226 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21227 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21228 part of the mail address.)
21231 (setq message-default-news-headers
21232 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21235 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21236 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21241 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21242 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21243 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21249 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21250 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21251 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21252 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21254 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21255 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21256 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21257 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21258 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21259 your fancy split rule in this way:
21264 (to "larsi" "misc")
21268 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21269 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21270 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21271 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21272 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21274 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21275 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21276 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21277 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21278 cosmic balance somewhat.
21280 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21281 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21282 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21283 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21288 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21289 @cindex SpamAssassin
21290 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21293 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21294 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21295 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21296 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21297 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21298 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21299 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21301 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21302 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21303 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21304 Specifiers}) follows.
21308 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21311 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21314 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21315 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21316 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21319 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21323 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21326 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21327 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21331 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21332 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21333 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21334 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21337 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21339 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21341 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21342 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21344 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21346 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21347 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21351 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21352 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21353 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21356 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21357 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21359 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21360 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21361 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21365 @subsection Hashcash
21368 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21369 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21370 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21371 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21372 in smaller communities.
21374 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21375 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21376 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21377 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21378 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21379 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21380 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21381 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21382 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21383 one of them separately.
21386 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21387 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21388 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21389 header. For more details, and for the external application
21390 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21391 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21392 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21394 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21398 (require 'hashcash)
21399 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21402 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21403 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21404 development contrib directory.
21406 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21410 @item hashcash-default-payment
21411 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21412 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21413 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21414 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21416 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21417 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21418 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21419 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21420 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21421 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21422 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21423 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21427 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21431 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21432 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21433 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21434 a useful contribution, however.
21436 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21437 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21438 @cindex spam filtering
21441 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21442 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21443 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21444 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21447 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21448 the following keyboard commands:
21458 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21459 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21461 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{H} mark.
21462 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21463 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21464 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21470 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21471 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21473 You must have bogofilter processing enabled for that command to work
21480 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21481 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21484 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21485 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21486 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21487 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21488 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21489 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21490 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21491 will be detected later.
21493 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21494 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21495 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21496 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21497 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21498 by customizing the corresponding variable
21499 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21500 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21501 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21502 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21503 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21504 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21505 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21508 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21509 they get the @samp{H} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21510 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{H} mark for
21511 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{H}
21512 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to "unread" the article, or @kbd{d} for
21513 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21514 spam-marked (@samp{H}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21515 will study them as spam samples.
21517 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21518 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21519 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21520 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21521 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21522 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21523 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21524 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21526 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21527 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21528 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21529 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21532 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21533 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21534 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21537 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21538 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21539 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21540 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21541 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21542 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{H},
21545 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21546 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21547 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21548 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21549 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21550 parameter or the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations} variable. The
21551 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21552 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21554 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21555 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21557 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21558 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21559 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or the
21560 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable. The location is a
21561 group name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not
21562 set, the spam articles are only expired.
21564 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21565 must add the following to your fancy split list
21566 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21572 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21573 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21574 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21576 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21577 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21578 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21579 but you can customize it.
21581 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
21582 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
21583 longer spam or ham.}
21585 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
21586 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
21589 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21590 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21593 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21594 * BBDB Whitelists::
21597 * ifile spam filtering::
21598 * spam-stat spam filtering::
21599 * Extending the spam elist package::
21602 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21603 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21604 @cindex spam filtering
21605 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21606 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21609 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21610 Set this variable to t if you want to use blacklists when splitting
21611 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist will be
21612 sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit filter,
21613 meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to be
21617 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21618 Set this variable to t if you want to use whitelists when splitting
21619 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the whitelist will
21620 be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an implicit filter,
21621 meaning it believes everyone to be a spammer unless told otherwise.
21625 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21626 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21627 customizing the group parameters or the
21628 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21629 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21630 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21633 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21634 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21635 customizing the group parameters or the
21636 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21637 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21638 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21639 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21640 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21643 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21644 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21645 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21646 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21647 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21649 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21650 legitimate. All non-whitelisted addresses are considered spammers.
21651 This option is probably not useful for most Gnus users unless the
21652 whitelists is very comprehensive or permissive. Also see @ref{BBDB
21653 Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the Emacs regular expression
21656 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21657 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21658 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21659 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21660 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21661 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21663 @node BBDB Whitelists
21664 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21665 @cindex spam filtering
21666 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21667 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21670 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21672 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21673 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted addresses,
21674 without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded for
21675 @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Only addresses in the BBDB
21676 will be allowed through; all others will be classified as spam.
21680 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21681 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21682 customizing the group parameters or the
21683 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21684 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21685 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21686 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21687 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21691 @subsubsection Blackholes
21692 @cindex spam filtering
21693 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21696 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21698 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
21699 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
21700 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
21701 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
21702 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
21703 contains outdated servers.
21705 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
21706 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
21707 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
21708 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
21709 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
21710 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
21714 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
21716 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
21720 @defvar spam-use-dig
21722 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
21723 The default setting of t is recommended.
21727 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
21728 ham processor for blackholes.
21731 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21732 @cindex spam filtering
21733 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21736 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21738 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21739 speedy Bogofilter. This has been tested with a locally patched copy
21740 of version 0.4. Make sure to read the installation comments in
21743 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{H} mark for spam
21744 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21745 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21746 category, spam or not. The shell command @command{head -1
21747 ~/.bogofilter/*} shows both article counts. The command @kbd{S t} in
21748 summary mode, either for debugging or for curiosity, triggers
21749 Bogofilter into displaying in another buffer the @emph{spamicity}
21750 score of the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0), together with the
21751 article words which most significantly contribute to the score.
21753 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
21754 processing will be turned off.
21759 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
21760 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21761 customizing the group parameters or the
21762 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21763 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
21764 will be added to the bogofilter spam database, and ham-marked articles
21765 will be added to the bogofilter ham database. @strong{Note that the
21766 Bogofilter spam processor is the only spam processor to also do ham
21770 @node ifile spam filtering
21771 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
21772 @cindex spam filtering
21773 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21776 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21778 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
21779 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
21783 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
21785 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
21786 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
21787 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
21791 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
21793 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
21794 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
21795 the default value of @samp{spam}.
21798 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
21800 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
21801 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
21805 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
21806 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21807 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
21808 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
21811 @node spam-stat spam filtering
21812 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
21813 @cindex spam filtering
21814 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
21818 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
21820 @defvar spam-use-stat
21822 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
21823 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
21827 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
21828 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21829 customizing the group parameters or the
21830 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21831 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
21832 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
21835 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
21836 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21837 customizing the group parameters or the
21838 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21839 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21840 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
21841 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21842 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21845 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
21846 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
21847 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
21848 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
21851 @node Extending the spam elist package
21852 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
21853 @cindex spam filtering
21854 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
21855 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
21857 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
21858 incoming mail, provide the following:
21866 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21867 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21872 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21874 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21879 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21880 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21881 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21884 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
21891 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
21892 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
21895 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21896 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
21897 Only applicable to spam groups.")
21899 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21900 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
21901 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
21909 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
21910 (spam-generic-register-routine
21911 ;; the spam function
21913 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21914 (when (stringp from)
21915 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
21916 ;; the ham function
21919 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
21920 (spam-generic-register-routine
21921 ;; the spam function
21923 ;; the ham function
21925 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21926 (when (stringp from)
21927 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
21930 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
21931 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
21932 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
21933 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
21934 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
21935 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
21940 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
21941 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
21942 @cindex Paul Graham
21943 @cindex Graham, Paul
21944 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
21945 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
21946 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
21948 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
21949 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
21950 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
21951 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
21952 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
21953 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
21954 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
21955 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
21956 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
21959 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
21960 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
21961 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
21962 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
21963 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
21964 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
21965 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
21966 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
21968 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
21969 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
21970 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
21971 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
21972 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
21975 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
21976 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
21977 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
21980 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21981 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21983 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
21984 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
21985 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
21986 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
21987 need several hundred emails in both collections.
21989 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
21990 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
21991 per mail. Use the following:
21993 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
21994 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
21995 is treated as one spam mail.
21998 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
21999 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22000 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22003 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22004 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22005 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22006 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22007 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22008 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22010 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22011 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22012 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22013 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22014 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22017 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22018 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22019 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22020 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22023 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22024 reset the dictionary.
22026 @defun spam-stat-reset
22027 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22030 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22031 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22032 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22033 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22034 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22035 only non-spam mails.
22037 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22038 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22039 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22042 @defun spam-stat-save
22043 Save the dictionary.
22046 @defvar spam-stat-file
22047 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22048 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22051 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22052 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22054 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22055 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22058 (require 'spam-stat)
22062 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22065 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22066 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22067 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22068 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22070 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22071 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22072 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22073 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22076 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22077 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22081 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22082 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22085 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22086 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22087 expression are considered potential spam.
22090 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22091 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22092 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22096 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22097 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22098 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22099 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22100 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22103 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22104 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22105 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22109 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22110 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22111 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22112 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22113 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22117 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22118 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22119 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22120 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22125 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22126 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22128 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22130 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22131 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22132 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22135 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22136 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22137 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22140 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22141 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22142 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22143 already been processed as non-spam.
22146 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22147 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22148 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22149 been processed as spam.
22152 @defun spam-stat-save
22153 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22154 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22157 @defun spam-stat-load
22158 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22159 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22162 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22163 Return the spam score for a word.
22166 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22167 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22170 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22171 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22172 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22175 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22176 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22179 (require 'spam-stat)
22183 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22186 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22187 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22188 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22189 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22190 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22191 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22192 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22193 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22194 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22195 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22196 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22197 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22198 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22199 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22202 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22205 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22206 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22207 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22208 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22209 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22210 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22213 @node Various Various
22214 @section Various Various
22220 @item gnus-home-directory
22221 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
22222 defaults to @file{~/}.
22224 @item gnus-directory
22225 @vindex gnus-directory
22226 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
22227 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
22228 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22230 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22231 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22232 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22233 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22235 @item gnus-default-directory
22236 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22237 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22238 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22239 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22240 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22241 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22242 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22245 @vindex gnus-verbose
22246 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22247 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22248 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22249 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22250 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22252 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22253 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22254 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22255 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22257 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22258 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22259 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22260 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22261 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22262 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22263 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22264 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22265 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22266 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22268 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22269 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22270 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22271 read when doing the operation described above.
22273 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22274 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22276 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22277 @cindex characters in file names
22278 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22279 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22280 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22283 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22287 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22288 Windows (phooey) systems.
22290 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22291 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22292 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22293 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22294 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22296 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22297 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22298 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22299 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22300 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22302 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22303 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22304 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22306 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22307 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22309 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22310 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22311 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22312 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22315 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22323 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22324 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22326 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22328 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22334 Not because of victories @*
22337 but for the common sunshine,@*
22339 the largess of the spring.
22343 but for the day's work done@*
22344 as well as I was able;@*
22345 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22346 but at the common table.@*
22351 @chapter Appendices
22354 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22355 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22356 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22357 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22358 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22359 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22360 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22361 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22362 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22369 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22371 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22372 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22373 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22374 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22375 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22376 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22383 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22384 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22386 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22387 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22388 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22389 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22390 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22392 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22393 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22394 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22395 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22396 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22397 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22399 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22400 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22401 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22402 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22405 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22406 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22407 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22408 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22409 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22410 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22411 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22412 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22413 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22417 @node Gnus Versions
22418 @subsection Gnus Versions
22420 @cindex September Gnus
22422 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22423 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22427 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22428 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22429 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22431 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22432 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22434 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22435 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22437 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22438 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22440 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22441 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22444 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22446 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22447 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22448 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22449 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22450 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22451 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22454 @node Other Gnus Versions
22455 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22458 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22459 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22460 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22461 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22463 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22464 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22465 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22466 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22473 What's the point of Gnus?
22475 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22476 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22477 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22478 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22479 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22480 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22481 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22482 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22483 keep track of millions of people who post?
22485 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22486 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22487 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22488 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22489 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22490 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22491 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22492 every one of you to explore and invent.
22494 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22495 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22498 @node Compatibility
22499 @subsection Compatibility
22501 @cindex compatibility
22502 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22503 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22504 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22509 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22513 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22516 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22519 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22520 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22521 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22522 important variables have their values copied into their global
22523 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22524 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22526 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22527 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22528 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22529 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22530 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22534 @cindex highlighting
22535 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22536 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22537 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22538 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22539 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22540 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22543 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22544 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22545 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22546 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22548 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22549 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22550 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22551 to stop doing it the old way.
22553 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22555 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22557 @cindex reporting bugs
22559 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22560 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22561 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22563 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22564 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22565 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22566 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22571 @subsection Conformity
22573 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22574 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22582 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22586 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22588 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22589 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22590 We do have some breaches to this one.
22596 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22597 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22598 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22599 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22600 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22605 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22606 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22607 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22608 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22610 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22612 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22614 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22615 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22617 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22620 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22621 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22622 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22623 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22624 decoding (verification and decryption).
22626 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22627 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22628 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22629 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22631 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22632 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22634 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22635 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22636 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22637 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22638 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22639 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22640 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22644 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22645 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22650 @subsection Emacsen
22656 Gnus should work on :
22664 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
22668 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22669 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22670 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
22671 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
22672 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
22674 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22675 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22676 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22680 @node Gnus Development
22681 @subsection Gnus Development
22683 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22684 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22685 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22686 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22687 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22688 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22689 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22690 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22692 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22693 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22694 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22695 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22696 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22699 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22700 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22701 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22702 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22703 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22705 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22706 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22707 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22708 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22709 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22710 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22711 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22712 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22713 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22714 can't be assumed to do so.
22719 @subsection Contributors
22720 @cindex contributors
22722 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22723 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22724 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22725 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22726 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22727 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22728 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22729 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22730 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22731 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22733 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
22739 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22742 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22743 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22744 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22745 functionality and stuff.
22748 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22749 well as numerous other things).
22752 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22755 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22758 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22761 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22764 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22765 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22768 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22771 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22772 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22775 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22778 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22781 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22784 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22787 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22788 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22791 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22794 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22797 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22800 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22804 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22807 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22810 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22813 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22814 well as autoconf support.
22818 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22819 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22821 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22830 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22834 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22844 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22859 Massimo Campostrini,
22864 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22865 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22869 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22872 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22878 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22883 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22887 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22895 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
22897 Michelangelo Grigni,
22901 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
22903 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
22905 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
22912 François Felix Ingrand,
22913 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
22914 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
22916 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
22927 Peter Skov Knudsen,
22928 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
22930 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
22931 Thor Kristoffersen,
22934 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
22952 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
22953 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
22960 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
22965 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
22969 John McClary Prevost,
22975 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
22980 Christian von Roques,
22983 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
22990 Philippe Schnoebelen,
22992 Randal L. Schwartz,
23006 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23011 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23027 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
23032 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23033 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23034 (550kB and counting).
23036 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23039 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23040 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23044 @subsection New Features
23045 @cindex new features
23048 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23049 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23050 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23051 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23052 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23055 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23056 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23057 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23060 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23062 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23067 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23068 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23071 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23072 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23075 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23078 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23079 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23080 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23083 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23084 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23085 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23086 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23089 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23090 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23093 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23094 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23095 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23098 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23099 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23102 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23103 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23104 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23107 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23108 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23109 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23112 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23113 the @file{.emacs} file.
23116 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23117 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23120 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23121 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23124 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23125 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23128 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23129 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23132 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23133 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23136 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23139 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23140 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23143 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23144 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23147 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23148 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23151 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23154 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23155 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23158 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23162 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23166 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23167 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23170 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23176 @node September Gnus
23177 @subsubsection September Gnus
23181 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23185 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23190 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23191 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23195 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23196 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23200 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23204 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23205 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23208 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23212 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23215 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23218 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23221 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23225 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23226 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23229 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23233 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23237 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23241 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23245 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23248 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23249 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23252 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23256 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23257 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23260 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23263 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23264 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23265 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23268 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23272 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23275 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23279 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23280 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23283 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23284 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23287 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23288 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23291 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23292 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23293 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23296 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23297 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23300 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23303 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23306 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23309 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23312 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23313 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23316 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23320 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23323 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23328 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23331 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23335 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23338 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23342 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23345 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23348 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23349 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23352 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23353 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23357 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23358 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23361 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23365 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23366 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23369 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23372 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23376 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23380 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23381 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23384 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23388 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23389 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23392 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23393 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23396 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23400 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23403 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23406 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23412 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23414 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23418 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23425 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23428 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23429 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23432 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23433 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23437 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23438 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23441 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23444 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23445 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23448 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23452 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23453 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23457 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23458 Server Internals}).
23461 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23465 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23468 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23469 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23472 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23473 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23474 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23477 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23478 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23481 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23482 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23485 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23489 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23490 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23493 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23494 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23497 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23501 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23504 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23508 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23509 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23512 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23513 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23516 A new command for reading collections of documents
23517 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23518 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23521 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23525 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23526 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23529 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23530 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23531 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23534 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23535 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23539 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23543 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23547 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23552 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23556 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23560 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23561 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23564 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23570 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23572 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23577 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23578 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23579 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23582 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23583 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23584 group, which is created automatically.
23587 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23591 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23594 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23595 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23598 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23602 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23605 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23606 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23609 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23612 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
23613 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
23616 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23617 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
23620 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23621 control over simplification.
23624 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23627 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23631 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23634 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23637 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23638 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23639 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23642 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23643 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23646 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23650 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23651 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23654 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23655 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23658 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23662 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23665 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23668 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23669 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23672 A new function for citing in Message has been
23673 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23676 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23679 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23683 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23684 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23687 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
23688 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23691 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23694 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23698 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23699 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23701 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23706 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23707 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23709 If you used procmail like in
23712 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23713 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23714 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23715 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23718 this now has changed to
23722 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23726 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23727 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23730 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23731 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23734 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23735 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23738 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23739 called to position point.
23742 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23743 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23746 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23747 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23750 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23751 subtly different manner.
23754 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23755 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23756 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23759 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23767 @section The Manual
23771 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23772 either @code{texi2dvi}
23774 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23775 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23777 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23779 The following conventions have been used:
23784 This is a @samp{string}
23787 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23790 This is a @file{file}
23793 This is a @code{symbol}
23797 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23801 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23804 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23807 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23810 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23811 ever get them confused.
23815 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23816 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23817 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23818 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23819 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23820 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23821 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23827 @node On Writing Manuals
23828 @section On Writing Manuals
23830 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23831 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23832 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23833 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23834 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23835 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23838 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23839 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23840 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23843 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23844 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23849 @section Terminology
23851 @cindex terminology
23856 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23857 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23858 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23859 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23860 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23864 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23865 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23866 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23867 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23871 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23875 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23880 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23881 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23882 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23883 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23884 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23885 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23886 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23887 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23888 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23890 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23891 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23892 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23893 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23894 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
23897 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
23898 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
23899 access the articles.
23901 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
23902 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
23903 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
23908 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
23909 default, way of getting news.
23913 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
23914 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
23919 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
23920 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
23924 A message that has been posted as news.
23927 @cindex mail message
23928 A message that has been mailed.
23932 A mail message or news article
23936 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
23941 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
23946 A line from the head of an article.
23950 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
23951 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
23955 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
23956 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
23957 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
23958 normal @sc{head} format.
23962 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
23963 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
23964 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
23965 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
23966 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
23967 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
23969 @item killed groups
23970 @cindex killed groups
23971 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
23972 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
23974 @item zombie groups
23975 @cindex zombie groups
23976 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
23979 @cindex active file
23980 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
23981 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
23982 is rather large, as you might surmise.
23985 @cindex bogus groups
23986 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
23987 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
23988 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
23991 @cindex activating groups
23992 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
23993 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
23994 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
23998 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24000 @item select method
24001 @cindex select method
24002 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24005 @item virtual server
24006 @cindex virtual server
24007 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24008 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24009 whole is a virtual server.
24013 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24014 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24017 @item ephemeral groups
24018 @cindex ephemeral groups
24019 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24020 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24021 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24024 @cindex solid groups
24025 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24026 group buffer are solid groups.
24028 @item sparse articles
24029 @cindex sparse articles
24030 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24031 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24035 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24036 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24040 @cindex thread root
24041 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24042 articles in the thread.
24046 An article that has responses.
24050 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24054 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24055 specified by RFC 1153.
24061 @node Customization
24062 @section Customization
24063 @cindex general customization
24065 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24066 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24067 for some quite common situations.
24070 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24071 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24072 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24073 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24077 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24078 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24080 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24081 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24082 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24086 @item gnus-read-active-file
24087 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24088 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24089 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24090 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24091 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24093 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24094 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24095 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24096 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24100 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24101 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24103 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24104 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24105 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24109 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24110 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24111 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24112 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24113 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24115 @item gnus-visible-headers
24116 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24117 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24118 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24119 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24121 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24123 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24124 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24125 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24128 @item gnus-use-full-window
24129 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24130 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24131 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24132 want to read them anyway.
24134 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24135 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24139 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24140 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24141 lines, which might save some time.
24145 @node Little Disk Space
24146 @subsection Little Disk Space
24149 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24150 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24154 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24155 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24156 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24157 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24160 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24161 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24162 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24163 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24166 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24167 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24168 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24169 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24170 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24176 @subsection Slow Machine
24177 @cindex slow machine
24179 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24180 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24182 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24183 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24185 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24186 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24187 summary buffer faster.
24191 @node Troubleshooting
24192 @section Troubleshooting
24193 @cindex troubleshooting
24195 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24203 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24206 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24207 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24211 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24212 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
24213 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
24214 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
24215 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24218 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24222 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24223 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24224 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24225 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24226 something like that.
24229 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24232 @cindex reporting bugs
24234 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24236 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24237 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24238 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24239 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24241 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24242 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24243 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24244 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24247 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24248 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24249 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24250 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24251 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24252 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24254 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24255 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24256 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24260 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24261 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24264 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24265 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24266 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24267 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24268 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24269 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24270 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24271 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24272 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24273 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24274 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24275 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24276 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24277 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24282 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24283 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24284 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press C-j when things are
24285 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24286 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24287 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24288 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24289 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24290 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24291 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-packagre RET message}. Then perform
24292 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24293 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24294 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24295 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24296 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24297 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24298 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24299 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24301 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24302 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24304 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24305 @cindex ding mailing list
24306 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
24307 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24311 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24312 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24314 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24315 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24316 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24317 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24320 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24321 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24322 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24323 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24324 and general methods of operation.
24327 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24328 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24329 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24330 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24331 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24332 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24333 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24334 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24335 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24339 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24340 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24341 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24342 @cindex utility functions
24344 @cindex internal variables
24346 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24347 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24348 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24352 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24353 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24354 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24356 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24357 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24358 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24360 @item gnus-group-real-name
24361 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24362 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24365 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24366 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24367 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24368 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24370 @item gnus-get-info
24371 @findex gnus-get-info
24372 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24374 @item gnus-group-unread
24375 @findex gnus-group-unread
24376 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24380 @findex gnus-active
24381 The active entry for @var{group}.
24383 @item gnus-set-active
24384 @findex gnus-set-active
24385 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24387 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24388 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24389 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24392 @item gnus-continuum-version
24393 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24394 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24395 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24398 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24399 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24400 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24402 @item gnus-news-group-p
24403 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24404 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24406 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24407 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24408 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24410 @item gnus-server-to-method
24411 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24412 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24414 @item gnus-server-equal
24415 @findex gnus-server-equal
24416 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24418 @item gnus-group-native-p
24419 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24420 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24422 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24423 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24424 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24426 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24427 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24428 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24430 @item group-group-find-parameter
24431 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24432 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24433 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24435 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24436 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24437 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24439 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24440 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24441 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24443 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24444 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24445 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24446 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24449 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24453 @item gnus-read-method
24454 @findex gnus-read-method
24455 Prompts the user for a select method.
24460 @node Back End Interface
24461 @subsection Back End Interface
24463 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24464 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24465 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24466 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24467 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24468 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24470 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24471 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24472 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24473 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24474 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24475 been opened, the function should fail.
24477 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24478 name. Take this example:
24482 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24483 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24486 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24487 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24489 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24490 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24491 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24493 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24494 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24495 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24497 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24498 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24499 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24500 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24501 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24502 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24505 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24506 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24507 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24508 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24511 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24512 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24513 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24514 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24515 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24516 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24517 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24518 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24519 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24520 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24522 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24523 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24524 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24525 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24526 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24527 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24528 of numbers as long as possible.
24530 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
24531 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
24532 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
24534 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24537 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24540 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24541 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24542 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24543 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24544 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24545 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24549 @node Required Back End Functions
24550 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24554 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24556 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24557 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24558 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24559 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24561 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24562 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24563 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24564 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24566 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
24567 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24568 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24569 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24570 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24571 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24572 number, do maximum fetches.
24574 Here's an example HEAD:
24577 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24578 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24579 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24580 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24581 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24582 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24583 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24585 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24586 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24587 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24591 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24592 these in the data buffer.
24594 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24598 head = error / valid-head
24599 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24600 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24601 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24602 header = <text> eol
24605 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24606 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24610 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24611 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24612 field = <text except TAB>
24615 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24619 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24621 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24622 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24624 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24625 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24626 server. In fact, it should do so.
24628 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24629 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24632 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24634 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24635 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24638 There should be no data returned.
24641 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24643 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24644 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24645 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24646 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24648 There should be no data returned.
24651 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24653 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24654 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24655 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24656 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24658 There should be no data returned.
24661 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24663 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24665 There should be no data returned.
24668 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24670 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24671 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24672 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24673 it would be nice if that were possible.
24675 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24676 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24677 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24678 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24679 into its article buffer.
24681 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24682 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24683 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24684 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24685 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24686 on successful article retrieval.
24689 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24691 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24692 making @var{group} the current group.
24694 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24697 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24700 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24703 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24704 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24705 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24706 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24707 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24708 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24709 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24710 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24711 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24715 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24716 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24717 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24721 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24723 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24724 a no-op on most back ends.
24726 There should be no data returned.
24729 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24731 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24734 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24737 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24738 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24741 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24742 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24743 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24744 and the highest as 0.
24747 active-file = *active-line
24748 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24750 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24753 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24754 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24755 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24758 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24760 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24761 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24762 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24763 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24764 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24765 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24767 There should be no result data from this function.
24772 @node Optional Back End Functions
24773 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24777 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24779 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24780 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24781 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24783 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24784 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24785 former is in the same format as the data from
24786 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24787 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24790 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24794 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24796 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24797 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24798 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24799 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24800 should return a non-nil value.
24802 There should be no result data from this function.
24805 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24807 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24808 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24809 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24810 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24811 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24812 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24813 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24814 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24816 There should be no result data from this function.
24819 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24821 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24822 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24823 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24824 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24825 propagate the mark information to the server.
24827 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24830 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24833 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
24834 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
24835 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
24836 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
24837 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24838 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24839 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24840 possible, not limit itself to these.
24842 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24843 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24844 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24845 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24847 An example action list:
24850 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24851 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24852 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24855 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24856 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24858 There should be no result data from this function.
24860 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24862 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24863 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24864 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24865 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24866 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24868 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24869 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24870 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24873 There should be no result data from this function.
24876 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24878 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24879 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24880 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24881 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24882 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24883 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24884 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24886 There should be no result data from this function.
24889 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24891 The result data from this function should be a description of
24895 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
24897 description = <text>
24900 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
24902 The result data from this function should be the description of all
24903 groups available on the server.
24906 description-buffer = *description-line
24910 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
24912 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
24913 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
24914 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
24915 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
24916 in the active buffer format.
24918 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
24919 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
24920 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
24921 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
24922 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
24923 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
24924 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
24927 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24929 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
24931 There should be no return data.
24934 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
24936 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
24937 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
24938 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
24939 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
24940 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
24943 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
24946 There should be no result data returned.
24949 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
24952 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
24953 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
24955 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
24956 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
24957 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
24958 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
24959 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
24960 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
24962 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
24963 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
24966 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24967 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24969 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
24970 article for that group.
24972 There should be no data returned.
24975 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
24977 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
24978 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
24979 this function in short order.
24981 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24982 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24984 There should be no data returned.
24987 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
24989 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
24990 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
24992 There should be no data returned.
24995 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
24997 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
24998 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
24999 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25001 There should be no data returned.
25004 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25006 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25007 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25009 There should be no data returned.
25014 @node Error Messaging
25015 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25017 @findex nnheader-report
25018 @findex nnheader-get-report
25019 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25020 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25021 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25022 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25023 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25024 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25027 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25029 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25032 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25033 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25034 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25035 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25037 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25038 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25039 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25042 @node Writing New Back Ends
25043 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25045 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25046 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25047 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25048 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25049 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25052 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25053 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25054 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25056 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25057 package called @code{nnoo}.
25059 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25060 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25066 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25067 parameters. For instance:
25070 (nnoo-declare nndir
25074 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25075 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25078 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25079 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25080 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25082 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25083 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25084 a function in those back ends.
25087 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25088 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25089 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25092 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25093 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25094 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25096 @item nnoo-define-basics
25097 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25101 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25105 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25106 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25107 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25109 @item nnoo-map-functions
25110 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25111 functions from the parent back ends.
25114 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25115 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25116 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25119 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25120 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25121 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25122 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25125 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25126 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25127 haven't already been defined.
25133 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25137 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25138 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25139 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25144 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25147 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25148 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25152 (require 'nnheader)
25156 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25158 (nnoo-declare nndir
25161 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25162 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25163 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25165 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25166 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25169 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25171 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25172 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25173 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25175 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25176 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25178 ;;; Interface functions.
25180 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25182 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25183 (setq nndir-directory
25184 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25186 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25187 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25188 (push `(nndir-current-group
25189 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25190 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25192 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25193 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25195 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25197 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25198 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25199 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25200 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25201 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25205 nnmh-status-message
25207 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25213 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25214 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25216 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25217 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25218 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25219 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25220 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25222 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25223 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25228 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25231 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25233 The abilities can be:
25237 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25239 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25241 This back end supports both mail and news.
25243 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25246 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25247 articles and groups.
25249 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25250 true for almost all back ends.
25251 @item prompt-address
25252 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25253 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25254 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25258 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25259 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25261 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25262 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25263 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25264 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25267 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25268 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25269 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25272 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25273 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25276 This function takes four parameters.
25280 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25283 @item exit-function
25284 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25286 @item temp-directory
25287 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25290 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25291 performed for one group only.
25294 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25295 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25296 find the article number assigned to this article.
25298 The function also uses the following variables:
25299 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25300 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25301 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25302 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25306 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25307 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25311 @node Score File Syntax
25312 @subsection Score File Syntax
25314 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25315 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25316 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25318 Here's a typical score file:
25322 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25329 BNF definition of a score file:
25332 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25333 element = rule / atom
25334 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25335 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25336 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25337 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25339 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25340 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25341 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25342 date-header = "date"
25343 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25344 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25345 score = "nil" / <integer>
25346 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25347 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25348 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25349 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25350 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25351 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25352 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25353 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25354 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25355 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25356 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25357 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25358 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25359 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25360 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25361 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25362 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25363 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25364 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25365 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25366 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25367 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25368 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25369 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25370 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25371 eval = "eval" space <form>
25372 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25375 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25378 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25379 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25380 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25381 one looong line, then that's ok.
25383 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25384 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25388 @subsection Headers
25390 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25391 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25392 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25393 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25395 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25396 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25397 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25398 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25399 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25400 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25401 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25403 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25404 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25405 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25406 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25407 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25409 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25410 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25416 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25417 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25419 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25420 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25421 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25422 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25424 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25428 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25431 is transformed into
25434 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25437 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25438 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25441 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25444 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25445 is slightly tricky:
25448 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25454 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25457 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25463 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25470 and is equal to the previous range.
25472 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25473 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25474 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25478 range = simple-range / normal-range
25479 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25480 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25481 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25482 number *[ " " contents ]
25485 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25486 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25487 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25488 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25489 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25494 @subsection Group Info
25496 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25497 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25498 describes the group.
25500 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25501 second is a more complex one:
25504 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25506 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25507 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25509 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25512 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25513 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25514 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25515 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25516 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25517 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25518 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25519 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25520 this section is about.
25522 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25523 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25524 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25526 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25529 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25530 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25531 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25532 group = quote <string> quote
25533 ralevel = rank / level
25534 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25535 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25536 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25538 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25539 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25540 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25541 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25544 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25545 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25548 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25549 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25552 @item gnus-info-group
25553 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25554 @findex gnus-info-group
25555 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25556 Get/set the group name.
25558 @item gnus-info-rank
25559 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25560 @findex gnus-info-rank
25561 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25562 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25564 @item gnus-info-level
25565 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25566 @findex gnus-info-level
25567 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25568 Get/set the group level.
25570 @item gnus-info-score
25571 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25572 @findex gnus-info-score
25573 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25574 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25576 @item gnus-info-read
25577 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25578 @findex gnus-info-read
25579 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25580 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25582 @item gnus-info-marks
25583 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25584 @findex gnus-info-marks
25585 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25586 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25588 @item gnus-info-method
25589 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25590 @findex gnus-info-method
25591 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25592 Get/set the group select method.
25594 @item gnus-info-params
25595 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25596 @findex gnus-info-params
25597 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25598 Get/set the group parameters.
25601 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25602 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25604 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25605 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25606 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25607 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25610 @node Extended Interactive
25611 @subsection Extended Interactive
25612 @cindex interactive
25613 @findex gnus-interactive
25615 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25616 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25617 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25620 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25621 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25626 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25627 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25628 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25629 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25630 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25631 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25632 @code{interactive}.
25634 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25639 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25640 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25644 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25645 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25646 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25649 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25653 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25657 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25663 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25664 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25668 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25669 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25670 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25672 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25673 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25674 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25675 Gnus, that's very useful.
25677 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25678 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25679 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25680 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25681 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25682 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25683 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25684 following function:
25687 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25691 (,function ,@@args))
25695 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25696 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25697 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25700 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25701 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25702 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25704 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25705 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25706 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25709 @node Various File Formats
25710 @subsection Various File Formats
25713 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25714 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25718 @node Active File Format
25719 @subsubsection Active File Format
25721 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25722 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25725 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25728 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25729 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25730 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25731 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25732 no.general 1000 900 y
25735 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25738 active = *group-line
25739 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25740 group = <non-white-space string>
25742 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25743 low-number = <positive integer>
25744 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25747 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25748 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25751 @node Newsgroups File Format
25752 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25754 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25755 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25756 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25759 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25760 Here's the definition:
25764 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25765 group = <non-white-space string>
25767 description = <string>
25772 @node Emacs for Heathens
25773 @section Emacs for Heathens
25775 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25776 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25777 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25778 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25779 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25780 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25781 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25785 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25786 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25791 @subsection Keystrokes
25795 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25798 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25801 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25802 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25803 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25804 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25805 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25806 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25808 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25809 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25810 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25811 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25812 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25813 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25814 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25816 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25817 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25818 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25819 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25820 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25821 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25822 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25824 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25825 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25826 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25827 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25828 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25834 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25836 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25837 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25838 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25839 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25841 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25842 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25843 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25844 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25845 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25846 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25847 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25850 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25851 write the following:
25854 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25857 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25858 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25859 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25862 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
25863 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25864 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25865 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25866 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25868 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25869 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25870 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25874 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25878 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25881 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25882 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25885 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25888 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25889 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25892 @include gnus-faq.texi
25912 @c Local Variables:
25914 @c coding: iso-8859-1
25916 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
25917 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
25918 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
25919 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
25920 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref