4 @settitle T-gnus 6.17 Manual
9 @documentencoding ISO-8859-1
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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
345 @title T-gnus 6.17 Manual
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using T-gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 T-gnus provides @acronym{MIME} features based on @acronym{SEMI} API. So
365 T-gnus supports your right to read strange messages including big images
366 or other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
367 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
368 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. Oh,
369 if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
371 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.17.
382 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
383 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
385 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
386 being accused of plagiarism:
388 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
389 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
390 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
391 can even read news with it!
393 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
394 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
395 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
396 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
397 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
414 * Key Index:: Key Index.
416 Other related manuals
418 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
419 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
420 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
421 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
422 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
425 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
429 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
430 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
431 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
432 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
433 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
434 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
435 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
436 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
437 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
438 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
439 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
443 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
444 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
445 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
449 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
450 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
451 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
452 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
453 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
454 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
455 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
456 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
457 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
458 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
459 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
460 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
461 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
462 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
463 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
464 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
465 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
469 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
470 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
471 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
475 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
476 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
477 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
478 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
479 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
483 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
484 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
485 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
486 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
487 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
491 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
492 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
493 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
494 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
495 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
496 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
497 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
498 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
499 * Threading:: How threads are made.
500 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
501 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
502 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
503 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
504 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
505 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
506 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
507 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
508 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
509 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
510 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
511 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
512 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
513 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
514 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
515 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
516 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
517 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
518 or reselecting the current group.
519 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
520 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
521 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
522 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
524 Summary Buffer Format
526 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
527 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
528 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
529 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
533 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
534 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
536 Reply, Followup and Post
538 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
539 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
540 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
541 * Canceling and Superseding::
545 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
546 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
547 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
548 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
549 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
550 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
554 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
555 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
557 Customizing Threading
559 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
560 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
561 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
562 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
566 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
567 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
568 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
569 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
570 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
571 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
575 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
576 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
577 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
581 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
582 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
583 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
584 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
585 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
586 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
587 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
588 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
589 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
590 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
591 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
593 Alternative Approaches
595 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
596 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
598 Various Summary Stuff
600 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
601 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
602 * Summary Generation Commands::
603 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
607 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
608 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
609 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
610 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
611 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
615 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
616 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
617 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
618 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
619 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
620 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
621 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
622 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
623 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
627 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
628 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
629 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
630 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
631 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
632 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
633 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
634 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
638 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
639 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
640 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
641 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
642 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
643 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
644 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
648 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
649 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
653 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
654 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
655 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
656 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
660 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
661 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
662 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
663 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
664 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
665 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
666 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
667 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
668 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
669 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
670 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
671 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
672 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
676 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
677 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
678 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
680 Choosing a Mail Back End
682 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
683 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
684 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
685 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
686 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
687 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
688 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
693 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
694 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
695 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
696 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
697 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
698 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
702 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
703 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
704 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
705 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
706 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
707 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
711 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
712 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
713 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
714 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
715 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
719 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
723 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
724 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
725 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
729 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
730 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
734 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
735 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
736 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
737 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
738 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
739 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
740 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
741 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
742 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
743 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
744 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
745 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
746 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
750 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
751 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
752 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
756 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
757 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
758 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
762 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
763 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
764 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
765 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
766 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
767 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
768 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
769 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
770 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
771 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
772 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
773 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
774 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
775 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
776 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
777 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
781 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
782 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
783 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
787 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
788 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
789 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
790 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
791 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
792 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
793 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
794 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
795 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
796 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
797 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
798 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
799 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
800 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
801 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
802 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
803 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
804 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
805 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
806 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
810 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
811 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
812 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
813 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
814 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
815 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
816 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
817 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
821 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
822 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
823 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
824 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
825 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
829 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
830 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
831 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
832 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
833 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
834 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
836 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
838 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
839 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
840 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
841 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
842 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
844 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
845 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
847 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
849 * SpamAssassin back end::
850 * ifile spam filtering::
851 * spam-stat spam filtering::
853 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
855 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
857 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
858 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
859 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
863 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
864 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
865 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
866 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
867 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
868 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
869 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
870 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
871 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
875 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
876 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
877 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
878 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
879 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
880 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
881 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
882 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
883 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
887 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
888 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
889 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
890 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
891 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
892 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
893 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
897 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
898 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
899 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
900 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
904 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
905 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
906 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
907 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
908 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
909 * Group Info:: The group info format.
910 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
911 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
912 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
916 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
917 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
918 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
919 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
920 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
921 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
925 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
926 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
930 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
931 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
937 @chapter Starting gnus
942 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
943 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
946 @findex gnus-other-frame
947 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
948 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
949 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
951 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
952 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
953 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
955 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
956 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
959 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
960 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
961 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
962 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
963 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
964 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
965 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
966 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
967 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
968 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
969 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
973 @node Finding the News
974 @section Finding the News
977 @vindex gnus-select-method
979 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
980 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
981 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
982 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
985 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
986 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
989 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
992 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
995 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
998 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
999 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1000 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1002 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1004 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1005 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1006 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1007 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1008 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1009 If that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1010 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1012 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1013 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1014 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1015 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1017 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1018 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1019 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1020 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1021 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1022 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1023 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1024 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1025 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1028 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1030 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1031 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1032 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1033 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1034 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1035 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1037 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1039 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1040 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1041 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1042 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1043 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1044 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1047 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1048 you would typically set this variable to
1051 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1054 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1055 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1056 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1057 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1060 @node The First Time
1061 @section The First Time
1062 @cindex first time usage
1064 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1065 be subscribed by default.
1067 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1068 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1069 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1070 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1073 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1074 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1075 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1077 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1078 help you with most common problems.
1080 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1081 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1085 @node The Server is Down
1086 @section The Server is Down
1087 @cindex server errors
1089 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1090 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1091 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1093 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1094 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1095 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1096 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1097 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1098 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1099 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1101 @findex gnus-no-server
1102 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1104 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1105 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1106 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1107 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1108 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1109 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1110 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1114 @section Slave Gnusae
1117 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1118 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1119 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1120 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1122 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1123 @file{.newsrc} file.
1125 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1126 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1127 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1128 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1129 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1130 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1131 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1134 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1135 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1136 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1137 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1138 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1139 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1140 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1141 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1143 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1144 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1146 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1147 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1148 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1149 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1150 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1152 @node Fetching a Group
1153 @section Fetching a Group
1154 @cindex fetching a group
1156 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1157 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1158 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1159 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1160 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1161 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1167 @cindex subscription
1169 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1170 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1171 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1172 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1173 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1174 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1175 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1176 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1177 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1180 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1181 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1182 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1186 @node Checking New Groups
1187 @subsection Checking New Groups
1189 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1190 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1191 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1192 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1193 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1194 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1195 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1196 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1197 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1198 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1200 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1201 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1202 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1203 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1204 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1205 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1206 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1207 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1208 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1209 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1210 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1212 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1213 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1214 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1215 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1216 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1217 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1220 @node Subscription Methods
1221 @subsection Subscription Methods
1223 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1224 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1225 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1227 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1228 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1230 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1234 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1235 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1236 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1237 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1238 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1242 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1243 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1247 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1249 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1250 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1251 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1252 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1253 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1254 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1255 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1256 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1257 up. Or something like that.
1259 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1260 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1261 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1262 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1263 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1265 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1267 Kill all new groups.
1269 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1270 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1271 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1272 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1273 topic parameter that looks like
1279 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1282 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1287 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1288 A closely related variable is
1289 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1290 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1291 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1292 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1295 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1296 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1297 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1298 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1301 @node Filtering New Groups
1302 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1304 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1305 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1306 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1309 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1312 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1313 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1314 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1315 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1316 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1317 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1318 subscribing these groups.
1319 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1320 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1322 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1323 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1324 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1325 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1326 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1327 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1328 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1329 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1331 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1332 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1333 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1334 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1335 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1336 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1337 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1338 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1339 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1340 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1343 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1344 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1347 @node Changing Servers
1348 @section Changing Servers
1349 @cindex changing servers
1351 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1352 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1353 very flaky and you want to use another.
1355 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1356 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1360 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1361 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1362 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1363 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1366 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1367 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1368 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1369 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1371 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1372 @findex gnus-change-server
1373 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1374 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1375 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1376 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1377 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1379 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1380 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1381 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1382 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1383 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1386 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1387 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1388 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1389 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1390 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1392 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1393 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1394 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1395 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1397 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1398 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1399 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1400 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1401 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1402 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1403 cache for all groups).
1407 @section Startup Files
1408 @cindex startup files
1413 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1414 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1416 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1417 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1418 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1419 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1420 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1421 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1422 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1424 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1425 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1426 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1427 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1428 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1429 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1431 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1432 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1433 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1434 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1435 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1436 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1437 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1438 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1439 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1440 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1442 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1443 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1444 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1445 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1446 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1447 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1448 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1449 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1450 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1451 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1452 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1453 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1455 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1456 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1457 @vindex version-control
1458 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1459 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1460 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1461 If you want version control for this file, set
1462 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1463 @code{version-control} variable.
1465 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1466 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1467 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1468 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1469 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1470 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1471 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1472 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1473 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1474 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1477 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1478 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1480 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1481 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1484 @vindex gnus-init-file
1485 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1486 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1487 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1488 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1489 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1490 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1491 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1492 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1493 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1494 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1500 @cindex dribble file
1503 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1504 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1505 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1506 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1507 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1510 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1511 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1514 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1515 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1516 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1518 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1519 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1520 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1521 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1522 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1523 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1525 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1526 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1527 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1530 @node The Active File
1531 @section The Active File
1533 @cindex ignored groups
1535 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1536 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1537 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1539 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1540 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1541 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1542 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1543 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1544 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1545 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1548 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1549 @c if you set it to anything else.
1551 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1553 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1554 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1555 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1557 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1558 you actually subscribe to.
1560 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1561 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1562 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1563 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1565 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1566 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1567 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1568 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1569 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1570 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1572 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1573 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1574 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1577 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1578 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1579 @acronym{NNTP} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1580 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1581 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1582 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1584 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1585 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1587 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1588 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1590 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1591 secondary select methods.
1594 @node Startup Variables
1595 @section Startup Variables
1599 @item gnus-load-hook
1600 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1601 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1602 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1603 times you start gnus.
1605 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1606 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1607 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1609 @item gnus-startup-hook
1610 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1611 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1613 @item gnus-started-hook
1614 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1615 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1618 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1619 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1620 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1621 generating the group buffer.
1623 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1624 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1625 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1626 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1627 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1628 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1629 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1630 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1632 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1633 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1634 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1635 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1636 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1637 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1639 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1640 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1641 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1643 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1644 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1645 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1647 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1648 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1649 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1650 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1656 @chapter Group Buffer
1657 @cindex group buffer
1659 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1661 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1662 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1663 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1664 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1665 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1666 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1667 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1668 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1669 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1670 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1671 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1672 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1673 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1674 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1675 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1676 @c human rights at 9...
1679 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1680 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1681 long as gnus is active.
1685 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1686 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1687 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1688 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1689 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1690 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1691 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1692 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1698 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1699 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1700 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1701 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1702 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1703 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1704 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1705 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1706 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1707 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1708 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1709 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1710 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1711 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1712 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1713 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1714 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1718 @node Group Buffer Format
1719 @section Group Buffer Format
1722 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1723 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1724 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1728 @node Group Line Specification
1729 @subsection Group Line Specification
1730 @cindex group buffer format
1732 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1733 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1735 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1738 25: news.announce.newusers
1739 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1744 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1745 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1746 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1747 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1749 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1750 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1751 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1752 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1753 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1754 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1756 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1758 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1759 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1760 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1761 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1762 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1764 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1765 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1766 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1768 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1773 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1776 Whether the group is subscribed.
1779 Level of subscribedness.
1782 Number of unread articles.
1785 Number of dormant articles.
1788 Number of ticked articles.
1791 Number of read articles.
1794 Number of unseen articles.
1797 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1798 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1800 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1801 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1802 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1803 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1804 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1805 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1806 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1807 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1810 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1813 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1822 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1823 comment element in the group parameters.
1826 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1827 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1828 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1832 @samp{m} if moderated.
1835 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1841 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1847 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1851 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1854 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1855 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1856 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1857 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1858 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1861 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1863 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1867 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1870 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1874 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1875 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1876 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1877 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1880 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1881 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1882 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1883 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1884 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1885 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1890 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1891 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1892 group, or a bogus native group.
1895 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1896 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1897 @cindex group mode line
1899 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1900 The mode line can be changed by setting
1901 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1902 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1906 The native news server.
1908 The native select method.
1912 @node Group Highlighting
1913 @subsection Group Highlighting
1914 @cindex highlighting
1915 @cindex group highlighting
1917 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1918 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1919 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1920 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1921 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1923 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1927 (cond (window-system
1928 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1929 (defface my-group-face-1
1930 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1931 (defface my-group-face-2
1932 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1933 "Second group face")
1934 (defface my-group-face-3
1935 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1936 (defface my-group-face-4
1937 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1938 (defface my-group-face-5
1939 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1941 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1942 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1943 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1944 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1945 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1946 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1949 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1951 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1958 The number of unread articles in the group.
1962 Whether the group is a mail group.
1964 The level of the group.
1966 The score of the group.
1968 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1970 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1971 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1973 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1974 topic being inserted.
1977 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1978 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1979 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1981 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1982 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1983 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1984 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1985 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1988 @node Group Maneuvering
1989 @section Group Maneuvering
1990 @cindex group movement
1992 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1993 expected, hopefully.
1999 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2000 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2001 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2007 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2008 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2009 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2013 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2014 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2018 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2019 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2023 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2024 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2025 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2029 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2030 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2031 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2034 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2040 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2041 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2042 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2047 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2048 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2049 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2053 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2054 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2055 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2058 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2059 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2060 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2061 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2065 @node Selecting a Group
2066 @section Selecting a Group
2067 @cindex group selection
2072 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2073 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2074 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2075 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2076 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2077 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2078 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2079 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2080 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2081 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2083 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2084 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2085 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2087 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2088 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2093 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2094 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2095 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2096 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2097 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2101 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2102 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2103 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2104 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2105 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2106 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2107 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2108 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2109 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2110 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2113 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2114 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2115 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2116 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2117 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2120 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2121 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2122 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2123 doing any processing of its contents
2124 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2125 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2126 manner will have no permanent effects.
2130 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2131 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2132 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2133 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2134 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2135 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2136 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2137 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2138 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2139 most recently will be fetched.
2141 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2142 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2143 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2146 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2147 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2148 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2149 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2150 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2151 Which article this is is controlled by the
2152 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2158 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2161 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2164 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2166 @item unseen-or-unread
2167 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2168 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2172 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2176 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2177 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2179 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2180 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2181 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2182 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2186 @node Subscription Commands
2187 @section Subscription Commands
2188 @cindex subscription
2196 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2197 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2198 Toggle subscription to the current group
2199 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2205 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2206 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2207 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2208 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2214 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2215 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2216 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2222 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2223 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2226 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2227 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2228 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2229 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2230 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2236 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2237 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2241 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2242 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2245 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2246 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2247 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2248 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2249 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2250 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2251 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2252 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2253 @file{.newsrc} file.
2257 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2267 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2268 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2269 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2270 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2271 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2272 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2277 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2278 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2279 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2283 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2284 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2285 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2287 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2288 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2289 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2290 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2291 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2292 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2299 @section Group Levels
2303 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2304 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2305 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2306 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2307 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2309 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2315 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2316 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2317 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2318 prompted for a level.
2321 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2322 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2323 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2324 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2325 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2326 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2327 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2328 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2329 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2330 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2331 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2332 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2333 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2334 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2335 reasons of efficiency.
2337 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2338 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2340 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2341 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2342 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2343 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2344 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2345 groups are hidden, in a way.
2347 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2348 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2349 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2350 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2351 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2352 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2354 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2355 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2356 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2357 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2358 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2359 list of killed groups.)
2361 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2362 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2363 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2365 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2366 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2367 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2368 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2369 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2370 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2371 relevant valid ranges.
2373 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2374 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2375 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2376 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2377 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2378 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2381 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2382 one with the best level.
2384 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2385 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2386 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2389 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2390 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2391 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2392 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2395 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2396 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2397 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2398 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2400 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2401 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2402 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2403 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2404 to 5. The default is 6.
2408 @section Group Score
2413 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2414 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2415 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2418 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2419 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2420 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2421 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2422 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2423 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2424 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2425 least significant part.))
2427 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2428 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2429 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2430 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2431 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2432 action after each summary exit, you can add
2433 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2434 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2435 slow things down somewhat.
2438 @node Marking Groups
2439 @section Marking Groups
2440 @cindex marking groups
2442 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2443 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2444 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2445 bidding on those groups.
2447 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2448 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2449 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2457 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2458 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2464 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2465 Remove the mark from the current group
2466 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2470 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2471 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2475 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2476 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2481 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2485 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2486 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2487 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2490 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2492 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2493 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2494 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2495 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2496 the command to be executed.
2499 @node Foreign Groups
2500 @section Foreign Groups
2501 @cindex foreign groups
2503 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2504 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2505 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2506 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2513 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2514 @cindex making groups
2515 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2516 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2517 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2521 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2522 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2523 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2527 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2528 @cindex renaming groups
2529 Rename the current group to something else
2530 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2531 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2537 @findex gnus-group-customize
2538 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2542 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2543 @cindex renaming groups
2544 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2545 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2549 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2550 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2551 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2555 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2556 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2557 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2561 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2563 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2564 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2569 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2570 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2574 @cindex (ding) archive
2575 @cindex archive group
2576 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2577 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2578 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2579 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2580 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2581 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2582 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2586 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2588 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2589 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2590 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2591 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2595 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2597 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2598 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2599 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2603 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2604 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2606 Make a group based on some file or other
2607 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2608 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2609 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2610 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2611 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2612 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2613 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2614 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2615 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2619 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2620 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2621 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2622 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2626 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2630 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2632 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2633 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2634 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2635 @xref{Web Searches}.
2637 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2638 to a particular group by using a match string like
2639 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2643 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2644 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2645 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2649 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2650 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2651 This function will delete the current group
2652 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2653 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2654 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2655 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2656 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2660 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2661 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2662 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2666 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2667 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2668 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2671 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2674 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2675 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2676 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2677 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2678 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2679 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2683 @node Group Parameters
2684 @section Group Parameters
2685 @cindex group parameters
2687 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2688 Here's an example group parameter list:
2691 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2695 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2696 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2697 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2698 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2700 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2701 is an alist of regexps and values.
2703 The following group parameters can be used:
2708 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2711 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2714 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2715 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2716 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2717 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2718 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2720 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2721 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2722 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2723 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2724 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2725 list address instead.
2727 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2731 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2734 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2737 It is totally ignored
2738 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2739 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2741 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2742 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2743 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2744 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2745 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2747 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2748 @cindex mail list groups
2749 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2750 entering summary buffer.
2752 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2757 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2758 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2759 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2760 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2761 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2762 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2763 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2764 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2767 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2768 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2771 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2772 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2776 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2777 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2778 of whether it has any unread articles.
2780 @item broken-reply-to
2781 @cindex broken-reply-to
2782 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2783 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2784 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2785 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2786 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2787 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2791 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2792 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2796 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2797 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2798 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2803 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2804 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2805 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2806 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2807 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2808 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2809 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2811 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2812 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2813 doesn't accept articles.
2817 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2818 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2819 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2821 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2824 @cindex total-expire
2825 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2826 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2827 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2828 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2831 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2835 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2836 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2837 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2838 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2839 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2840 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2841 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2844 @cindex expiry-target
2845 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2846 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2849 @cindex score file group parameter
2850 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2851 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2852 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2855 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2856 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2857 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2858 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2861 @cindex admin-address
2862 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2863 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2864 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2865 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2869 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2870 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2874 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2877 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2878 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2881 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2885 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2887 Here are some examples:
2891 Display only unread articles.
2894 Display everything except expirable articles.
2896 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2897 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2901 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2902 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2903 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2904 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2905 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2909 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2910 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2911 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2915 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2916 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2917 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2921 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2922 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2923 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2925 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2927 @item ignored-charsets
2928 @cindex ignored-charset
2929 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2930 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2931 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2933 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2936 @cindex posting-style
2937 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2938 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2939 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2940 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2941 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2943 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2944 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2945 like this in the group parameters:
2950 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2951 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2956 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2957 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2961 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2962 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2963 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2964 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2965 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2969 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2970 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2971 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2972 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2974 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2975 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2976 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2977 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2980 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2981 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2985 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2986 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2987 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2988 like the following is generated:
2991 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
2992 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2996 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
2997 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
2999 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3000 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3002 @item (agent parameters)
3003 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3004 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3005 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3006 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3007 minimize the configuration effort.
3009 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3010 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3011 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3012 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3013 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3014 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3015 @code{eval}ed there.
3017 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3018 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3019 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3020 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3021 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3022 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3023 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3024 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3027 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3030 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3031 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3032 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3035 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3038 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3039 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3040 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3041 into the group parameters for the group.
3043 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3044 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3045 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3046 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3049 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3050 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3051 following is added to a group parameter
3054 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3055 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3058 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3063 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3064 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3065 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3066 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3067 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3069 @vindex gnus-parameters
3070 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3071 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3075 (setq gnus-parameters
3077 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3078 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3079 (gnus-summary-line-format
3080 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3084 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3088 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3092 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3095 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3096 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3099 @node Listing Groups
3100 @section Listing Groups
3101 @cindex group listing
3103 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3111 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3112 List all groups that have unread articles
3113 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3114 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3115 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3116 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3123 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3124 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3125 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3126 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3127 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3128 unsubscribed groups).
3132 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3133 List all unread groups on a specific level
3134 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3135 with no unread articles.
3139 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3140 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3141 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3142 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3147 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3148 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3152 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3153 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3154 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3158 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3159 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3163 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3164 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3165 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3166 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3167 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3168 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3169 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3170 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3174 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3175 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3176 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3180 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3181 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3182 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3186 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3187 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3191 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3192 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3196 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3197 List groups limited within the current selection
3198 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3202 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3203 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3207 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3208 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3212 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3213 @cindex visible group parameter
3214 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3215 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3216 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3217 get the same effect.
3219 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3220 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3221 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3222 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3223 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3226 @node Sorting Groups
3227 @section Sorting Groups
3228 @cindex sorting groups
3230 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3231 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3232 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3233 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3234 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3235 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3240 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3241 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3242 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3244 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3246 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3248 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3250 Sort by group level.
3252 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3253 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3254 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3256 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3257 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3258 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3259 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3261 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3262 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3263 Sort by number of unread articles.
3265 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3266 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3267 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3269 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3270 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3271 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3276 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3277 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3281 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3282 some sorting criteria:
3286 @kindex G S a (Group)
3287 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3288 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3289 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3292 @kindex G S u (Group)
3293 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3294 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3295 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3298 @kindex G S l (Group)
3299 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3300 Sort the group buffer by group level
3301 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3304 @kindex G S v (Group)
3305 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3306 Sort the group buffer by group score
3307 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3310 @kindex G S r (Group)
3311 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3312 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3313 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3316 @kindex G S m (Group)
3317 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3318 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3319 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3322 @kindex G S n (Group)
3323 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3324 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3325 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3329 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3330 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3332 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3333 commands will sort in reverse order.
3335 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3339 @kindex G P a (Group)
3340 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3341 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3342 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3345 @kindex G P u (Group)
3346 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3347 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3348 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3351 @kindex G P l (Group)
3352 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3353 Sort the groups by group level
3354 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3357 @kindex G P v (Group)
3358 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3359 Sort the groups by group score
3360 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3363 @kindex G P r (Group)
3364 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3365 Sort the groups by group rank
3366 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3369 @kindex G P m (Group)
3370 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3371 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3372 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3375 @kindex G P n (Group)
3376 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3377 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3378 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3381 @kindex G P s (Group)
3382 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3383 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3387 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3391 @node Group Maintenance
3392 @section Group Maintenance
3393 @cindex bogus groups
3398 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3399 Find bogus groups and delete them
3400 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3404 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3405 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3406 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3407 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3408 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3412 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3414 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3415 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3416 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3417 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3420 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3421 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3422 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3423 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3428 @node Browse Foreign Server
3429 @section Browse Foreign Server
3430 @cindex foreign servers
3431 @cindex browsing servers
3436 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3437 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3438 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3439 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3442 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3443 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3444 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3445 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3447 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3452 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3453 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3457 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3458 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3461 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3462 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3463 Enter the current group and display the first article
3464 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3467 @kindex RET (Browse)
3468 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3469 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3473 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3474 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3475 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3481 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3482 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3486 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3487 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3491 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3492 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3493 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3498 @section Exiting gnus
3499 @cindex exiting gnus
3501 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3506 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3507 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3508 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3509 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3513 @findex gnus-group-exit
3514 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3515 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3519 @findex gnus-group-quit
3520 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3521 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3524 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3525 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3526 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3527 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3528 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3529 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3535 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3536 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3537 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3543 @section Group Topics
3546 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3547 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3548 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3549 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3550 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3551 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3555 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3556 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3567 2: alt.religion.emacs
3570 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3572 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3573 13: comp.sources.unix
3576 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3578 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3579 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3580 is a toggling command.)
3582 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3583 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3584 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3585 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3588 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3589 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3590 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3593 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3597 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3598 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3599 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3600 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3601 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3605 @node Topic Commands
3606 @subsection Topic Commands
3607 @cindex topic commands
3609 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3610 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3611 definitions slightly.
3613 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3614 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3615 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3616 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3617 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3618 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3620 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3627 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3628 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3629 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3633 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3635 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3636 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3637 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3638 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3641 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3642 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3643 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3644 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3648 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3649 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3650 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3651 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3657 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3658 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3659 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3663 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3664 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3665 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3668 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3669 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3670 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3671 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3672 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3674 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3675 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3679 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3680 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3687 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3689 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3690 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3691 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3692 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3693 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3694 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3698 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3704 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3705 Move the current group to some other topic
3706 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3707 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3711 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3712 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3716 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3717 Copy the current group to some other topic
3718 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3719 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3723 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3724 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3725 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3729 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3730 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3731 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3735 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3736 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3737 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3738 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3739 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3740 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3741 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3744 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3745 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3749 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3750 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3751 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3755 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3756 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3757 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3761 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3762 Toggle hiding empty topics
3763 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3767 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3768 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3769 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3770 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3773 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3774 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3775 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3776 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3777 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3780 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3781 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3782 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3783 expiry process (if any)
3784 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3788 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3789 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3792 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3793 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3794 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3798 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3799 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3803 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3804 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3805 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3808 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3809 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3810 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3814 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3815 @cindex group parameters
3816 @cindex topic parameters
3818 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3819 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3824 @node Topic Variables
3825 @subsection Topic Variables
3826 @cindex topic variables
3828 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3829 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3831 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3832 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3833 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3846 Number of groups in the topic.
3848 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3850 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3853 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3854 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3855 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3858 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3859 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3861 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3862 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3863 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3867 @subsection Topic Sorting
3868 @cindex topic sorting
3870 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3876 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3877 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3878 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3879 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3882 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3883 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3884 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3885 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3888 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3889 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3890 Sort the current topic by group level
3891 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3894 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3895 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3896 Sort the current topic by group score
3897 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3900 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3901 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3902 Sort the current topic by group rank
3903 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3906 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3907 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3908 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3909 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3912 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3913 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3914 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3915 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3918 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3919 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3920 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3921 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3922 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3926 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3927 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3931 @node Topic Topology
3932 @subsection Topic Topology
3933 @cindex topic topology
3936 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3943 2: alt.religion.emacs
3946 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3948 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3949 13: comp.sources.unix
3953 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3954 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3955 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3960 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3961 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3965 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3966 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3967 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3968 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3969 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3970 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3972 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3973 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3974 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3977 @node Topic Parameters
3978 @subsection Topic Parameters
3979 @cindex topic parameters
3981 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3982 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3983 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3984 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3985 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3987 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3992 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3993 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3994 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3997 @item subscribe-level
3998 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3999 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4000 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4004 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4005 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4006 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4007 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4014 2: alt.religion.emacs
4018 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4020 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4021 13: comp.sources.unix
4026 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4027 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4028 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4029 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4030 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4031 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4033 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4034 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4035 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4036 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4037 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4039 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4040 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4041 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4042 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4043 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4044 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4045 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4046 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4049 @node Misc Group Stuff
4050 @section Misc Group Stuff
4053 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4054 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4055 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4056 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4057 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4064 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4065 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4066 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4070 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4071 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4072 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4073 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4074 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4075 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4076 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4080 @findex gnus-group-mail
4081 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4082 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4083 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4084 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4088 @findex gnus-group-news
4089 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4090 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4091 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4093 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4094 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4095 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4096 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4097 for this to work though.
4101 Variables for the group buffer:
4105 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4106 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4107 is called after the group buffer has been
4110 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4111 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4112 is called after the group buffer is
4113 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4116 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4117 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4118 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4119 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4121 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4122 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4123 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4124 whether they are empty or not.
4126 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4127 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4128 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4129 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4133 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4134 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4137 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4138 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4139 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4140 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4141 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4142 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4143 default is @code{nil}.
4147 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4148 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4153 @node Scanning New Messages
4154 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4155 @cindex new messages
4156 @cindex scanning new news
4162 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4163 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4164 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4165 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4166 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4167 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4172 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4173 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4174 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4175 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4176 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4177 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4178 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4180 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4181 @cindex activating groups
4183 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4184 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4189 @findex gnus-group-restart
4190 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4191 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4192 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4196 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4197 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4199 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4200 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4204 @node Group Information
4205 @subsection Group Information
4206 @cindex group information
4207 @cindex information on groups
4214 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4215 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4218 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4219 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4220 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4221 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4222 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4223 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4224 used for fetching the file.
4226 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4227 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4231 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4232 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4234 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4235 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4238 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4239 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4240 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4244 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4245 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4246 @cindex control message
4247 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4248 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4249 group if given a prefix argument.
4251 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4252 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4253 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4254 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4256 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4257 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4258 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4262 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4264 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4265 @cindex describing groups
4266 @cindex group description
4267 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4268 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4269 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4273 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4274 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4275 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4282 @findex gnus-version
4283 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4287 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4288 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4291 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4294 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4295 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4299 @node Group Timestamp
4300 @subsection Group Timestamp
4302 @cindex group timestamps
4304 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4305 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4306 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4309 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4312 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4314 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4315 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4318 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4319 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4322 This will result in lines looking like:
4325 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4326 0: custom 19961002T012713
4329 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4330 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4334 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4335 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4338 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4339 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4343 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4344 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4345 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4346 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4348 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4354 @subsection File Commands
4355 @cindex file commands
4361 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4362 @vindex gnus-init-file
4363 @cindex reading init file
4364 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4365 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4369 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4370 @cindex saving .newsrc
4371 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4372 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4373 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4376 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4377 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4378 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4383 @node Sieve Commands
4384 @subsection Sieve Commands
4385 @cindex group sieve commands
4387 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4388 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4389 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4390 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4391 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4393 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4394 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4395 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4396 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4397 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4398 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4399 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4400 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4401 regenerate the Sieve script.
4403 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4404 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4405 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4406 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4407 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4408 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4409 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4410 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4411 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4412 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4415 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4416 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4421 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4427 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4428 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4429 @cindex generating sieve script
4430 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4431 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4435 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4436 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4437 @cindex updating sieve script
4438 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4439 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4440 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4445 @node Summary Buffer
4446 @chapter Summary Buffer
4447 @cindex summary buffer
4449 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4450 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4452 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4453 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4455 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4458 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4459 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4460 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4461 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4462 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4463 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4464 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4465 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4466 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4467 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4468 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4469 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4470 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4471 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4472 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4473 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4474 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4475 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4476 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4477 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4478 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4479 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4480 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4481 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4482 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4483 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4484 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4485 or reselecting the current group.
4486 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4487 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4488 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4489 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4493 @node Summary Buffer Format
4494 @section Summary Buffer Format
4495 @cindex summary buffer format
4499 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4500 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4501 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4507 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4508 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4509 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4510 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4513 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4514 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4515 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4516 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4517 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4518 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4519 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4520 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4521 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4522 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4523 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4524 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4525 other function instead:
4528 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4529 'mail-extract-address-components)
4532 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4533 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4534 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4535 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4538 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4539 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4541 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4542 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4543 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4544 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4545 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4547 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4548 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4549 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4550 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4551 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4552 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4554 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4556 The following format specification characters and extended format
4557 specification(s) are understood:
4563 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4564 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4566 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4567 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4568 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4570 Full @code{From} header.
4572 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4574 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4577 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4578 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4579 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4580 may be more thorough.
4582 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4585 Number of lines in the article.
4587 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4588 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4590 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4591 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4593 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4595 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4596 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4609 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4610 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4611 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4612 line-drawing glyphs.
4614 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4615 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4616 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4617 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4619 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4620 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4621 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4622 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4624 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4625 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4626 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4627 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4629 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4630 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4631 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4633 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4634 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4635 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4637 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4638 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4639 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4641 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4642 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4643 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4648 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4649 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4651 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4652 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4654 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4655 for adopted articles.
4657 One space for each thread level.
4659 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4661 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4664 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4665 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4666 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4669 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4671 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4672 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4673 default level. If the difference between
4674 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4675 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4683 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4685 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4691 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4692 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4694 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4695 article has any children.
4701 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4702 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4704 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4705 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4706 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4707 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4708 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4709 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4712 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4713 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4714 There can only be one such area.
4716 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4717 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4718 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4719 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4720 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4721 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4723 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4724 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4726 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4729 @node To From Newsgroups
4730 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4734 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4735 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4736 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4737 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4738 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4742 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4743 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4744 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4748 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4749 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4752 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4753 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4756 @findex gnus-extra-header
4757 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4758 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4759 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4762 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4766 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4767 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4768 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4769 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4770 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4771 headers are used instead.
4775 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4776 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4777 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4778 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4779 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4780 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4783 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4784 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4785 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4786 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4788 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4792 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4794 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4795 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4796 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4797 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4801 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4804 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4805 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4808 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4809 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4810 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4816 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4817 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4820 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4821 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4823 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4824 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4825 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4826 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4828 Here are the elements you can play with:
4834 Unprefixed group name.
4836 Current article number.
4838 Current article score.
4842 Number of unread articles in this group.
4844 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4847 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4848 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4849 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4850 and no unselected ones.
4852 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4853 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4855 Subject of the current article.
4857 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4859 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4861 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4863 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4865 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4867 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4871 @node Summary Highlighting
4872 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4876 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4877 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4878 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4879 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4880 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4882 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4883 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4884 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4885 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4887 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4888 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4889 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4890 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4892 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4893 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4894 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4895 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4896 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4897 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4900 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4901 ((> score default) . bold))
4903 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4904 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4908 @node Summary Maneuvering
4909 @section Summary Maneuvering
4910 @cindex summary movement
4912 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4913 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4915 None of these commands select articles.
4920 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4921 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4922 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4923 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4924 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4928 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4929 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4930 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4931 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4932 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4935 @kindex G g (Summary)
4936 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4937 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4938 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4941 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4942 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4943 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4944 to the group buffer.
4946 Variables related to summary movement:
4950 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4951 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4952 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4953 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4954 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4955 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4956 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4957 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4958 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4959 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4960 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4961 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4962 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4963 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4965 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4966 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4967 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4968 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4969 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4970 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4971 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4973 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4975 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4976 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4977 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4978 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4979 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4981 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4982 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4983 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4984 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4985 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4986 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4987 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4988 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4991 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4992 the given number of lines from the top.
4997 @node Choosing Articles
4998 @section Choosing Articles
4999 @cindex selecting articles
5002 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5003 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5007 @node Choosing Commands
5008 @subsection Choosing Commands
5010 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5011 and they all select and display an article.
5013 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5014 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5018 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5019 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5020 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5021 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5023 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5024 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5025 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5030 @kindex G n (Summary)
5031 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5032 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5033 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5038 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5039 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5040 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5045 @kindex G N (Summary)
5046 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5047 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5052 @kindex G P (Summary)
5053 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5054 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5057 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5059 Go to the next article with the same subject
5060 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5063 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5064 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5065 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5066 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5070 @kindex G f (Summary)
5072 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5073 Go to the first unread article
5074 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5078 @kindex G b (Summary)
5080 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5081 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5082 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5083 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5088 @kindex G l (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5090 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5093 @kindex G o (Summary)
5094 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5096 @cindex article history
5097 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5098 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5099 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5100 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5101 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5102 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5107 @kindex G j (Summary)
5108 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5109 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5110 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5115 @node Choosing Variables
5116 @subsection Choosing Variables
5118 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5121 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5122 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5123 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5124 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5125 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5126 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5128 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5129 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5130 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5131 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5132 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5133 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5135 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5136 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5138 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5139 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5140 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5141 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5142 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5143 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5144 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5145 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5146 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5147 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5148 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5153 @node Paging the Article
5154 @section Scrolling the Article
5155 @cindex article scrolling
5160 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5161 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5162 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5163 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5164 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5166 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5167 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5168 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5169 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5170 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5171 what is considered uninteresting with
5172 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5173 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5176 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5178 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5181 @kindex RET (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5183 Scroll the current article one line forward
5184 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5187 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5188 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5189 Scroll the current article one line backward
5190 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5194 @kindex A g (Summary)
5196 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5197 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5198 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5199 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5200 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5201 the way it came from the server.
5203 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5204 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5205 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5208 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5213 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5218 @kindex A < (Summary)
5219 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5220 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5221 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5226 @kindex A > (Summary)
5227 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5228 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5232 @kindex A s (Summary)
5234 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5235 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5236 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5240 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5241 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5246 @node Reply Followup and Post
5247 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5250 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5251 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5252 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5253 * Canceling and Superseding::
5257 @node Summary Mail Commands
5258 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5260 @cindex composing mail
5262 Commands for composing a mail message:
5268 @kindex S r (Summary)
5270 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5271 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5272 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5273 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5274 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5279 @kindex S R (Summary)
5280 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5281 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5282 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5283 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5284 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5287 @kindex S w (Summary)
5288 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5289 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5290 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5291 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5292 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5293 present, that's used instead.
5296 @kindex S W (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5298 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5299 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5300 the process/prefix convention.
5303 @kindex S v (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5305 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5306 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5307 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5308 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5309 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5312 @kindex S V (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5314 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5315 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5316 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5319 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5321 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5322 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5323 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5324 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5325 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5326 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5329 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5331 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5332 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5333 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5337 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5338 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5339 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5340 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5341 Forward the current article to some other person
5342 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5343 headers of the forwarded article.
5348 @kindex S m (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5350 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5351 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5352 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5353 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5358 @kindex S i (Summary)
5359 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5360 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5361 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5362 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5364 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5365 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5366 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5367 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5368 for this to work though.
5371 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5372 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5373 @cindex bouncing mail
5374 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5375 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5376 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5377 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5378 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5379 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5380 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5381 very well fail, though.
5384 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5385 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5386 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5387 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5388 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5389 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5390 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5391 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5392 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5393 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5395 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5396 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5397 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5398 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5399 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5401 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5402 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5405 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5406 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5408 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5409 if it were a new message before resending.
5412 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5413 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5414 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5415 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5416 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5419 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5420 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5421 @cindex crossposting
5422 @cindex excessive crossposting
5423 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5424 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5426 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5427 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5428 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5429 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5430 command understands the process/prefix convention
5431 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5435 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5436 Manual}, for more information.
5439 @node Summary Post Commands
5440 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5442 @cindex composing news
5444 Commands for posting a news article:
5450 @kindex S p (Summary)
5451 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5452 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5453 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5454 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5455 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5460 @kindex S f (Summary)
5461 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5462 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5463 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5467 @kindex S F (Summary)
5469 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5470 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5471 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5472 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5473 process/prefix convention.
5476 @kindex S n (Summary)
5477 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5478 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5479 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5482 @kindex S N (Summary)
5483 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5484 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5485 message through mail and include the original message
5486 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5487 the process/prefix convention.
5490 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5491 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5492 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5493 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5494 headers of the forwarded article.
5497 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5500 @cindex making digests
5501 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5502 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5503 process/prefix convention.
5506 @kindex S u (Summary)
5507 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5508 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5509 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5510 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5513 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5514 Manual}, for more information.
5517 @node Summary Message Commands
5518 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5522 @kindex S y (Summary)
5523 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5524 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5525 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5526 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5527 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5532 @node Canceling and Superseding
5533 @subsection Canceling Articles
5534 @cindex canceling articles
5535 @cindex superseding articles
5537 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5538 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5540 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5542 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5544 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5545 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5546 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5547 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5548 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5549 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5551 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5552 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5555 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5556 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5557 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5559 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5560 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5561 message, Message Manual}).
5563 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5564 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5565 your original article.
5567 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5569 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5570 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5571 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5574 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5575 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5576 have posted almost the same article twice.
5578 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5579 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5580 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5581 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5582 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5583 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5584 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5585 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5586 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5587 canceled/superseded.
5589 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5591 @node Delayed Articles
5592 @section Delayed Articles
5593 @cindex delayed sending
5594 @cindex send delayed
5596 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5597 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5598 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5599 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5602 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5605 @findex gnus-delay-article
5606 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5607 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5608 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5609 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5613 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5614 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5615 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5616 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5619 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5620 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5621 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5624 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5625 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5626 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5627 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5628 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5629 that means a time tomorrow.
5632 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5633 couple of variables:
5636 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5637 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5638 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5639 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5641 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5642 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5643 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5644 formats described above.
5646 @item gnus-delay-group
5647 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5648 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5649 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5650 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5652 @item gnus-delay-header
5653 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5654 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5655 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5656 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5659 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5660 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5661 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5662 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5663 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5665 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5666 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5667 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5668 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5669 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5670 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5671 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5674 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5675 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5677 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5678 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5679 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5680 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5681 argument is ignored.
5683 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5684 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5685 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5689 @node Marking Articles
5690 @section Marking Articles
5691 @cindex article marking
5692 @cindex article ticking
5695 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5697 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5698 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5699 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5701 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5704 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5708 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5709 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5710 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5711 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5712 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5713 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5717 @node Unread Articles
5718 @subsection Unread Articles
5720 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5725 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5726 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5728 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5729 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5730 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5731 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5732 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5733 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5734 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5737 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5738 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5740 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5741 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5742 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5743 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5747 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5748 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5750 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5755 @subsection Read Articles
5756 @cindex expirable mark
5758 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5763 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5764 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5765 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5768 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5769 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5772 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5773 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5774 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5777 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5778 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5781 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5782 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5785 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5786 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5789 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5790 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5793 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5794 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5797 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5798 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5801 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5802 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5806 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5807 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5808 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5812 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5813 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5815 One more special mark, though:
5819 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5820 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5822 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5823 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5824 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5825 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5831 @subsection Other Marks
5832 @cindex process mark
5835 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5841 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5842 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5843 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5844 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5845 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5848 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5849 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5850 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5851 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5854 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5855 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5856 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5859 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5860 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5861 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5864 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5865 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5866 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5867 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5870 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5871 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5872 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5873 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5874 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5875 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5878 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5879 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5880 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5881 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5884 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5885 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5886 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5887 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5888 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5892 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5893 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5894 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5895 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5896 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5897 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5900 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5901 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5902 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5903 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5904 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5905 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5909 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5910 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5911 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5912 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5913 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5916 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5917 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5918 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5919 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5920 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5921 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5925 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5926 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5927 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5929 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5930 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5931 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5935 @subsection Setting Marks
5936 @cindex setting marks
5938 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5943 @kindex M c (Summary)
5944 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5946 @cindex mark as unread
5947 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5948 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5954 @kindex M t (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5956 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5957 @xref{Article Caching}.
5962 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5964 Mark the current article as dormant
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5969 @kindex M d (Summary)
5971 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5972 Mark the current article as read
5973 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5977 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5978 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5979 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5984 @kindex M k (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5986 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5987 and then select the next unread article
5988 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5992 @kindex M K (Summary)
5993 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5994 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5995 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5996 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5999 @kindex M C (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6001 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6002 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6005 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6007 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6008 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6011 @kindex M H (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6013 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6014 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6017 @kindex M h (Summary)
6018 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6019 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6020 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6023 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6025 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6026 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6029 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6030 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6031 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6032 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6036 @kindex M e (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6039 Mark the current article as expirable
6040 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6043 @kindex M b (Summary)
6044 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6045 Set a bookmark in the current article
6046 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6049 @kindex M B (Summary)
6050 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6051 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6052 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6055 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6057 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6058 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6061 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6062 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6063 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6064 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6067 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6068 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6069 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6070 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6071 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6074 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6075 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6076 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6077 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6078 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6079 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6080 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6081 The default is @code{t}.
6084 @node Generic Marking Commands
6085 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6087 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6088 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6089 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6090 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6091 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6094 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6095 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6098 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6099 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6100 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6101 to list in this manual.
6103 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6104 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6105 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6106 article, you could say something like:
6110 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6111 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6112 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6120 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6121 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6125 @node Setting Process Marks
6126 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6127 @cindex setting process marks
6129 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6130 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6131 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6132 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6133 commands into the cache. For more information,
6134 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6141 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6142 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6143 Mark the current article with the process mark
6144 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6145 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6149 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6150 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6151 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6152 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6155 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6156 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6157 Remove the process mark from all articles
6158 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6161 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6162 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6163 Invert the list of process marked articles
6164 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6167 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6168 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6169 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6170 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6173 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6174 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6175 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6176 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6179 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6180 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6181 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6184 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6186 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6189 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6190 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6191 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6192 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6195 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6197 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6198 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6201 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6203 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6204 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6207 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6208 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6209 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6212 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6214 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6215 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6218 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6219 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6220 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6223 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6224 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6225 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6226 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6229 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6231 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6235 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6236 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6237 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6238 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6241 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6242 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6243 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6244 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6248 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6249 set process marks based on article body contents.
6256 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6257 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6258 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6261 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6262 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6263 additional articles.
6269 @kindex / / (Summary)
6270 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6271 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6272 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6276 @kindex / a (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6278 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6279 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6283 @kindex / R (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6285 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6286 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6290 @kindex / x (Summary)
6291 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6292 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6293 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6299 @kindex / u (Summary)
6301 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6302 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6303 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6304 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6305 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6308 @kindex / m (Summary)
6309 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6310 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6311 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6314 @kindex / t (Summary)
6315 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6316 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6317 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6318 articles younger than that number of days.
6321 @kindex / n (Summary)
6322 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6323 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6324 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6325 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6328 @kindex / w (Summary)
6329 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6330 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6331 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6335 @kindex / . (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6337 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6338 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6341 @kindex / v (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6343 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6344 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6347 @kindex / p (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6349 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6350 group parameter predicate
6351 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6352 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6355 @kindex / r (Summary)
6356 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6357 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6358 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6363 @kindex M S (Summary)
6364 @kindex / E (Summary)
6365 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6366 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6367 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6370 @kindex / D (Summary)
6371 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6372 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6373 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6376 @kindex / * (Summary)
6377 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6378 Include all cached articles in the limit
6379 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6382 @kindex / d (Summary)
6383 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6384 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6385 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6388 @kindex / M (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6390 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6393 @kindex / T (Summary)
6394 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6395 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6398 @kindex / c (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6400 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6401 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6404 @kindex / C (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6406 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6408 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6411 @kindex / N (Summary)
6412 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6413 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6414 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6417 @kindex / o (Summary)
6418 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6419 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6420 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6428 @cindex article threading
6430 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6431 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6432 hierarchical fashion.
6434 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6435 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6436 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6437 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6438 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6439 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6440 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6442 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6446 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6449 A tree-like article structure.
6452 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6455 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6456 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6457 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6458 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6459 called loose threads.
6461 @item thread gathering
6462 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6464 @item sparse threads
6465 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6466 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6472 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6473 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6477 @node Customizing Threading
6478 @subsection Customizing Threading
6479 @cindex customizing threading
6482 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6483 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6484 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6485 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6490 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6493 @cindex loose threads
6496 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6497 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6498 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6499 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6500 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6501 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6503 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6504 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6505 There are four possible values:
6509 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6510 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6511 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6512 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6513 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6518 @cindex adopting articles
6523 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6524 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6525 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6526 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6529 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6530 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6531 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6532 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6533 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6534 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6535 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6536 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6537 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6538 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6541 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6542 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6543 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6547 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6548 display them after one another.
6551 Don't gather loose threads.
6554 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6555 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6556 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6557 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6558 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6559 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6560 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6561 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6562 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6563 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6564 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6566 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6567 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6568 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6571 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6572 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6573 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6574 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6575 simplification is used.
6577 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6578 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6579 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6580 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6582 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6584 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6590 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6591 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6592 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6593 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6598 (mapconcat 'identity
6599 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6601 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6604 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6607 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6608 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6609 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6610 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6611 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6612 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6614 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6617 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6618 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6619 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6621 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6622 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6625 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6626 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6627 Remove excessive whitespace.
6629 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6630 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6631 Remove all whitespace.
6634 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6637 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6638 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6639 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6640 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6641 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6642 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6643 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6644 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6646 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6647 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6648 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6649 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6650 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6651 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6652 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6653 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6654 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6658 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6659 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6660 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6661 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6663 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6664 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6665 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6668 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6672 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6673 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6679 @node Filling In Threads
6680 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6683 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6684 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6685 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6686 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6687 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6688 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6689 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6690 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6691 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6692 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6693 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6694 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6697 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6698 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6699 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6701 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6702 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6703 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6706 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6707 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6708 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6709 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6710 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6711 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6712 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6713 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6714 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6715 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6716 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6717 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6718 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6719 @code{nil} by default.
6721 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6722 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6723 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6724 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6725 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6726 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6727 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6729 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6730 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6731 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6736 @node More Threading
6737 @subsubsection More Threading
6740 @item gnus-show-threads
6741 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6742 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6743 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6744 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6745 slower and more awkward.
6747 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6748 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6749 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6752 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6753 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6754 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6759 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6760 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6761 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6764 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6765 unread, but you get my drift.)
6768 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6769 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6770 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6771 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6772 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6773 threads are expunged.
6775 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6776 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6777 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6780 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6781 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6782 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6783 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6784 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6785 result in a new thread.
6787 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6788 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6789 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6792 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6793 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6794 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6795 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6796 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6797 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6798 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6799 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6800 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6801 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6802 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6807 @node Low-Level Threading
6808 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6812 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6813 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6814 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6815 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6816 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6817 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6819 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6820 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6821 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6822 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6823 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6824 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6825 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6826 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6827 meaningful. Here's one example:
6830 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6832 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6833 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6835 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6837 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6844 @node Thread Commands
6845 @subsection Thread Commands
6846 @cindex thread commands
6852 @kindex T k (Summary)
6853 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6854 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6855 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6856 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6857 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6862 @kindex T l (Summary)
6863 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6864 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6865 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6866 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6869 @kindex T i (Summary)
6870 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6871 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6872 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6875 @kindex T # (Summary)
6876 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6877 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6878 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6881 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6882 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6883 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6884 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6887 @kindex T T (Summary)
6888 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6889 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6892 @kindex T s (Summary)
6893 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6894 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6895 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6898 @kindex T h (Summary)
6899 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6900 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6903 @kindex T S (Summary)
6904 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6905 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6908 @kindex T H (Summary)
6909 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6910 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6913 @kindex T t (Summary)
6914 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6915 Re-thread the current article's thread
6916 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6917 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6920 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6921 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6922 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6923 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6927 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6928 understand the numeric prefix.
6933 @kindex T n (Summary)
6935 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6937 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6938 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6939 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6942 @kindex T p (Summary)
6944 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6946 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6947 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6948 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6951 @kindex T d (Summary)
6952 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6953 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6956 @kindex T u (Summary)
6957 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6958 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6961 @kindex T o (Summary)
6962 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6963 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6966 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6967 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6968 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6969 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6970 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6971 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6972 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6973 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6974 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6975 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6976 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6977 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6981 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6982 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6984 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6985 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6986 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6987 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6988 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6989 @c @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
6990 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6991 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6992 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6993 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6994 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6995 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6996 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6997 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6998 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7000 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7001 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7002 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7003 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7004 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7005 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7006 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7007 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7009 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7010 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7011 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7013 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7014 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7015 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7016 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7017 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7018 ascending article order.
7020 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7021 by number, you could do something like:
7024 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7025 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7026 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7027 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7030 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7031 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7032 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7033 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7034 which the articles arrived.
7036 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7040 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7042 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7043 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7046 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7047 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7048 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7049 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7052 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7053 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7054 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7055 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7056 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7057 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7058 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7059 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7060 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7061 variable. It is very similar to the
7062 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7063 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7064 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7065 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7066 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7067 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7068 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7070 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7074 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7075 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7076 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7081 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7082 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7083 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7084 @cindex article pre-fetch
7087 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7088 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7089 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7090 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7091 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7093 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7094 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
7096 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7097 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7098 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7099 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7100 connection is blocked.
7102 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7103 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7104 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7105 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
7107 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7108 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7109 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7110 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7113 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7116 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7117 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7118 happen automatically.
7120 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7121 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7122 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7123 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7124 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7125 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7126 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7128 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7129 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7130 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7131 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7132 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7133 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7134 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7135 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7136 article data structure as the only parameter.
7138 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7139 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7142 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7143 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7144 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7145 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7148 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7151 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7152 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7153 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7155 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7156 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7157 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7158 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7162 Remove articles when they are read.
7165 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7168 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7170 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7171 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7172 @c from the next group.
7175 @node Article Caching
7176 @section Article Caching
7177 @cindex article caching
7180 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7181 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7182 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7183 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7184 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7186 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7188 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7189 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7190 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7191 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7192 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7193 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7194 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7195 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7197 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7198 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7199 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7200 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7201 as dormant, and don't worry.
7203 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7205 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7206 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7207 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7208 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7209 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7210 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7211 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7212 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7213 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7214 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7216 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7217 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7218 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7219 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7220 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7221 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7222 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7223 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7224 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7225 not then be downloaded by this command.
7227 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7228 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7229 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7230 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7231 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7232 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7234 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7235 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7236 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7237 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7238 variables, the group is not cached.
7240 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7241 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7242 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7243 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7244 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7245 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7246 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7247 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7248 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7251 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7252 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7253 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7254 where, isn't that cool?
7256 @node Persistent Articles
7257 @section Persistent Articles
7258 @cindex persistent articles
7260 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7261 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7262 useful in my opinion.
7264 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7265 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7266 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7267 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7268 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7269 the expiry going on at the news server.
7271 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7272 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7273 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7279 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7280 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7283 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7284 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7285 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7286 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7290 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7292 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7293 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7294 interested in persistent articles:
7297 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7301 @node Article Backlog
7302 @section Article Backlog
7304 @cindex article backlog
7306 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7307 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7308 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7309 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7310 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7311 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7312 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7313 increase memory usage some.
7315 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7316 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7317 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7318 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7319 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7320 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7321 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7323 The default value is 20.
7326 @node Saving Articles
7327 @section Saving Articles
7328 @cindex saving articles
7330 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7331 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7332 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7333 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7334 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7336 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7337 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7338 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7340 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7341 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7342 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7344 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7345 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7346 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7347 deleted before saving.
7353 @kindex O o (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7356 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7357 Save the current article using the default article saver
7358 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7361 @kindex O m (Summary)
7362 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7363 Save the current article in mail format
7364 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7367 @kindex O r (Summary)
7368 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7369 Save the current article in Rmail format
7370 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7373 @kindex O f (Summary)
7374 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7375 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7376 Save the current article in plain file format
7377 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7380 @kindex O F (Summary)
7381 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7382 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7383 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7386 @kindex O b (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7388 Save the current article body in plain file format
7389 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7392 @kindex O h (Summary)
7393 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7394 Save the current article in mh folder format
7395 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7398 @kindex O v (Summary)
7399 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7400 Save the current article in a VM folder
7401 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7405 @kindex O p (Summary)
7407 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7408 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7409 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7410 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7411 complete headers in the piped output.
7414 @kindex O P (Summary)
7415 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7416 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7417 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7418 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7419 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7420 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7421 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7425 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7426 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7427 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7428 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7429 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7430 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7431 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7432 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7433 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7434 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7435 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7436 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7440 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7441 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7442 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7443 functions below, or you can create your own.
7447 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7448 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7449 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7450 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7451 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7452 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7453 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7455 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7456 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7457 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7458 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7459 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7460 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7462 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7463 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7464 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7465 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7466 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7467 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7468 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7470 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7471 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7472 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7473 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7474 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7475 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7477 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7478 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7479 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7480 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7481 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7483 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7484 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7485 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7486 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7487 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7490 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7491 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7492 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7493 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7494 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7496 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7497 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7498 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7499 reader to use this setting.
7502 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7503 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7504 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7505 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7508 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7509 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7510 available functions that generate names:
7514 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7515 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7516 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7518 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7519 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7520 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7522 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7523 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7524 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7526 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7527 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7528 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7530 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7531 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7532 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7535 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7536 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7537 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7538 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7539 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7543 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7544 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7545 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7546 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7549 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7550 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7551 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7552 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7553 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7554 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7555 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7556 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7557 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7559 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7560 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7561 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7562 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7564 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7565 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7566 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7569 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7570 lots of mail groups called things like
7571 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7572 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7573 following will do just that:
7576 (defun my-save-name (group)
7577 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7578 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7580 (setq gnus-split-methods
7581 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7586 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7587 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7588 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7589 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7590 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7591 all the files in the top level directory
7592 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7593 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7594 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7595 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7597 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7598 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7599 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7600 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7601 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7604 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7608 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7609 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7610 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7613 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7614 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7615 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7616 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7619 @node Decoding Articles
7620 @section Decoding Articles
7621 @cindex decoding articles
7623 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7624 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7627 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7628 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7629 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7630 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7631 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7632 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7636 @cindex article series
7637 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7638 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7639 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7640 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7641 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7643 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7644 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7645 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7647 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7648 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7649 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7651 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7652 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7653 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7656 @node Uuencoded Articles
7657 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7659 @cindex uuencoded articles
7664 @kindex X u (Summary)
7665 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7666 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7667 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7670 @kindex X U (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7672 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7673 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7676 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7677 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7678 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7681 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7682 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7683 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7684 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7688 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7689 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7690 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7691 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7692 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7694 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7695 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7696 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7697 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7700 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7701 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7702 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7703 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7704 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7705 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7709 @node Shell Archives
7710 @subsection Shell Archives
7712 @cindex shell archives
7713 @cindex shared articles
7715 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7716 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7717 some commands to deal with these:
7722 @kindex X s (Summary)
7723 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7724 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7727 @kindex X S (Summary)
7728 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7729 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7732 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7733 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7734 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7737 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7738 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7739 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7740 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7744 @node PostScript Files
7745 @subsection PostScript Files
7751 @kindex X p (Summary)
7752 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7753 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7756 @kindex X P (Summary)
7757 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7758 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7759 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7762 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7763 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7764 View the current PostScript series
7765 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7768 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7769 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7770 View and save the current PostScript series
7771 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7776 @subsection Other Files
7780 @kindex X o (Summary)
7781 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7782 Save the current series
7783 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7786 @kindex X b (Summary)
7787 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7788 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7789 doesn't really work yet.
7793 @node Decoding Variables
7794 @subsection Decoding Variables
7796 Adjective, not verb.
7799 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7800 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7801 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7805 @node Rule Variables
7806 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7807 @cindex rule variables
7809 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7810 variables are of the form
7813 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7820 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7821 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7823 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7824 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7827 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7828 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7831 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7832 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7833 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7834 user and default view rules.
7836 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7837 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7838 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7843 @node Other Decode Variables
7844 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7847 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7849 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7850 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7851 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7852 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7853 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7857 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7858 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7861 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7862 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7863 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7866 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7867 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7868 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7869 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7870 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7873 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7874 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7875 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7877 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7878 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7879 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7880 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7881 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7884 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7885 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7886 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7888 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7889 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7890 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7891 looking for files to display.
7893 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7894 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7895 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7898 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7899 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7900 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7903 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7904 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7905 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7908 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7909 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7910 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7913 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7914 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7915 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7916 decoded articles as unread.
7918 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7919 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7920 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7921 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7923 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7924 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7925 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7927 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7928 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7930 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7931 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7932 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7933 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7935 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7936 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7937 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7938 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7939 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7940 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7941 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7942 simply dropped them.
7947 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7948 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7952 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7953 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7954 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7955 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7956 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7957 for you when you post the article.
7959 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7960 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7961 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7962 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7964 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7965 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7966 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7967 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7968 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7969 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7970 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7972 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7973 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7974 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7975 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7976 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7977 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7978 Default is @code{t}.
7984 @subsection Viewing Files
7985 @cindex viewing files
7986 @cindex pseudo-articles
7988 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7989 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7990 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7991 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7992 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7993 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7994 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7996 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7997 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7998 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7999 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8001 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8002 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8003 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8005 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8006 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8007 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8008 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8009 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8011 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8012 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8013 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8014 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8015 a list of parameters to that command.
8017 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8018 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8019 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8021 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8022 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8023 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8026 @node Article Treatment
8027 @section Article Treatment
8029 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8030 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8031 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8032 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8033 these articles easier.
8036 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8037 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8038 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8039 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8040 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8041 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8042 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8043 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8044 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8045 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8046 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8050 @node Article Highlighting
8051 @subsection Article Highlighting
8052 @cindex highlighting
8054 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8055 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8060 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8061 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8062 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8063 Do much highlighting of the current article
8064 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8065 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8068 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8069 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8070 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8071 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8072 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8073 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8074 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8075 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8076 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8077 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8078 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8079 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8082 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8083 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8084 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8086 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8089 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8091 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8092 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8093 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8095 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8096 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8097 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8099 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8100 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8101 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8102 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8103 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8104 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8106 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8107 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8108 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8110 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8111 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8112 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8114 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8115 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8116 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8117 that it's a citation.
8119 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8120 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8121 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8123 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8124 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8125 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8127 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8128 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8129 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8130 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8132 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8133 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8134 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8135 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8136 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8143 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8144 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8145 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8146 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8147 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8148 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8149 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8150 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8155 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8158 @node Article Fontisizing
8159 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8161 @cindex article emphasis
8163 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8164 @kindex W e (Summary)
8165 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8166 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8167 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8168 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8170 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8171 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8172 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8173 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8174 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8175 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8176 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8177 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8181 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8182 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8183 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8192 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8193 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8194 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8195 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8196 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8197 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8198 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8199 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8200 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8201 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8202 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8203 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8204 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8206 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8207 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8208 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8212 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8215 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8217 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8218 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8219 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8220 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8222 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8225 @node Article Hiding
8226 @subsection Article Hiding
8227 @cindex article hiding
8229 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8230 too much cruft in most articles.
8235 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8236 @findex gnus-article-hide
8237 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8238 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8239 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8242 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8243 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8244 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8248 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8249 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8250 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8251 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8254 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8255 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8256 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8260 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8261 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8262 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8263 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8264 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8265 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8266 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8267 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8271 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8272 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8273 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8274 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8279 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8280 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8281 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8282 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8285 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8286 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8287 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8288 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8291 @cindex stripping advertisements
8292 @cindex advertisements
8293 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8294 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8295 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8296 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8297 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8298 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8299 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8300 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8301 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8302 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8305 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8306 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8307 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8311 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8312 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8313 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8314 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8315 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8316 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8317 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8318 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8319 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8320 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8321 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8324 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8325 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8331 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8332 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8333 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8334 customizing the hiding:
8338 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8339 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8340 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8341 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8342 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8343 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8344 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8349 Starting point of the hidden text.
8351 Ending point of the hidden text.
8353 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8355 Number of lines of hidden text.
8358 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8359 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8360 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8361 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8362 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8367 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8368 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8370 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8371 following two variables:
8374 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8375 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8376 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8377 50), hide the cited text.
8379 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8380 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8381 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8386 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8387 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8388 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8389 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8390 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8391 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8395 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8396 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8397 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8399 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8400 citation customization.
8402 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8406 @node Article Washing
8407 @subsection Article Washing
8409 @cindex article washing
8411 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8412 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8414 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8415 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8418 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8419 articles by default.
8424 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8425 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8429 Force redisplaying of the current article
8430 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8431 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8432 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8433 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8436 @kindex W l (Summary)
8437 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8438 Remove page breaks from the current article
8439 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8443 @kindex W r (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8445 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8446 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8447 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8448 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8449 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8451 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8452 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8453 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8454 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8457 @kindex W m (Summary)
8458 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8459 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8463 @kindex W t (Summary)
8465 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8466 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8467 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8470 @kindex W v (Summary)
8471 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8472 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8473 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8476 @kindex W m (Summary)
8477 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8478 Toggle whether to run the article through @acronym{MIME} before
8479 displaying (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8482 @kindex W o (Summary)
8483 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8484 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8487 @kindex W d (Summary)
8488 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8489 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8491 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8493 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8494 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8495 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8496 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8499 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8500 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8501 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8502 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8505 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8506 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8507 @cindex Outlook Express
8508 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8509 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8510 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8513 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8515 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8516 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8517 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8518 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8519 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8520 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8521 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8522 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8525 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8526 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8527 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8528 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8531 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8533 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8534 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8537 @kindex W w (Summary)
8538 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8539 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8541 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8545 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8546 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8547 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8550 @kindex W C (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8552 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8553 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8556 @kindex W c (Summary)
8557 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8558 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8559 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8560 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8561 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8563 @kindex W q (Summary)
8564 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8565 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8566 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8567 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8568 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8569 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8570 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8571 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8572 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8575 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8576 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8577 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8578 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8579 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8580 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8581 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8582 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8585 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8586 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8587 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8588 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8589 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8592 @kindex W A (Summary)
8593 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8594 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8595 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8596 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8597 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8600 @kindex W u (Summary)
8601 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8602 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8603 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8604 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8605 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8608 @kindex W h (Summary)
8609 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8610 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8611 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8612 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8614 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8616 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8617 The default is to use the function specified by
8618 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8619 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8620 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8621 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8629 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8632 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8635 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8638 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8643 @kindex W b (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8645 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8646 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8649 @kindex W B (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8651 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8652 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8655 @kindex W p (Summary)
8656 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8657 Verify a signed control message
8658 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8659 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8660 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8661 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8662 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8663 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8666 @kindex W s (Summary)
8667 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8668 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8669 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8670 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8673 @kindex W a (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8675 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8676 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8679 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8680 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8681 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8682 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8685 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8686 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8687 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8688 lines with a single empty line.
8689 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8692 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8693 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8694 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8695 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8698 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8699 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8700 Do all the three commands above
8701 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8704 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8705 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8706 Remove all blank lines
8707 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8710 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8712 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8713 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8716 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8717 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8718 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8719 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8723 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8726 @node Article Header
8727 @subsection Article Header
8729 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8734 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8735 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8736 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8739 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8740 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8741 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8742 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8745 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8746 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8747 Fold all the message headers
8748 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8751 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8752 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8753 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8754 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8759 @node Article Buttons
8760 @subsection Article Buttons
8763 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8764 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8765 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8766 button on these references.
8768 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8769 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8770 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8771 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8772 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8776 @item gnus-button-alist
8777 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8778 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8781 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8787 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8788 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8789 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8790 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8791 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8794 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8795 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8796 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8799 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8800 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8801 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8802 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8803 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8805 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8808 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8811 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8812 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8816 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8819 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8822 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8823 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8824 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8825 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8826 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8829 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8832 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8835 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8838 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8839 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8841 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8843 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8844 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8845 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8846 default values of the variables above.
8848 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8850 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8851 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8852 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8853 argument with a string naming the man page.
8855 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8857 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8858 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8859 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8861 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8862 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8863 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8864 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8865 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8866 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8867 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8868 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8869 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8870 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8871 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8872 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8874 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8875 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8876 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8877 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8878 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8881 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8882 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8883 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8884 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8886 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8888 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8889 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8890 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8891 argument, the string naming the URL.
8894 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8895 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8896 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8900 @item gnus-article-button-face
8901 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8902 Face used on buttons.
8904 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8905 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8906 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8910 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8913 @node Article Button Levels
8914 @subsection Article button levels
8915 @cindex button levels
8916 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8917 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8918 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8919 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8920 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8921 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8922 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8923 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8926 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8927 (setq gnus-parameters
8928 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8929 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8930 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8935 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8936 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8937 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8938 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8939 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8940 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8942 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8943 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8944 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8945 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8946 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8947 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8948 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8949 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8950 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8951 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8952 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8953 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8954 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8956 @item gnus-button-man-level
8957 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8958 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8959 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8961 @item gnus-button-message-level
8962 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8963 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8964 Related variables and functions include
8965 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8966 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8967 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8968 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8970 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8971 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8972 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8973 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8974 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8975 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8976 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8982 @subsection Article Date
8984 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8985 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8986 when the article was sent.
8991 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8993 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8994 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8997 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8998 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9000 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9001 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9004 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9005 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9006 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9009 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9010 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9011 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9012 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9015 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9016 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9017 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9018 @findex format-time-string
9019 Display the date using a user-defined format
9020 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9021 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9022 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9023 for a list of possible format specs.
9026 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9027 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9028 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9029 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9030 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9031 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9034 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9037 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9038 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9039 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9042 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9043 into wonderful absurdities.
9045 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9048 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9051 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9052 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9056 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9057 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9058 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9059 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9060 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9061 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9062 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9066 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9067 preferred format automatically.
9070 @node Article Display
9071 @subsection Article Display
9076 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9077 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9079 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9080 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9082 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9083 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9085 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9086 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9088 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9089 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9091 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9096 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9097 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9098 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9099 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9102 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9103 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9104 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9105 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9108 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9109 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9110 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9113 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9114 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9115 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9118 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9119 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9120 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9121 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9124 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9125 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9126 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9127 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9130 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9131 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9132 Remove all images from the article buffer
9133 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9139 @node Article Signature
9140 @subsection Article Signature
9142 @cindex article signature
9144 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9145 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9146 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9147 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9148 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9149 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9150 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9151 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9152 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9155 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9156 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9157 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9158 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9159 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9160 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9161 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9162 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9165 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9168 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9169 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9170 signature when displaying articles.
9174 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9177 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9180 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9181 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9183 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9184 in question is not a signature.
9187 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9188 listed above. Here's an example:
9191 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9192 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9195 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9196 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9197 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9198 signature after all.
9201 @node Article Miscellanea
9202 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9206 @kindex A t (Summary)
9207 @findex gnus-article-babel
9208 Translate the article from one language to another
9209 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9215 @section MIME Commands
9216 @cindex MIME decoding
9218 @cindex viewing attachments
9220 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9221 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9227 @kindex K v (Summary)
9228 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9231 @kindex K o (Summary)
9232 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9235 @kindex K c (Summary)
9236 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9239 @kindex K e (Summary)
9240 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9243 @kindex K i (Summary)
9244 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9247 @kindex K | (Summary)
9248 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9251 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9256 @kindex K b (Summary)
9257 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9258 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9262 @kindex K m (Summary)
9263 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9264 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9265 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9266 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9267 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9270 @kindex X m (Summary)
9271 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9272 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9273 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9274 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9277 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9278 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9279 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9280 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9283 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9284 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9285 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9286 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9289 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9290 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9291 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9292 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9294 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9295 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9296 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9297 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9298 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9299 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9302 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9303 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9304 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9305 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9312 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9313 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9314 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9315 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9318 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9321 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9325 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9326 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9327 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9328 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9329 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9330 default is @code{nil}.
9332 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9333 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9334 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9335 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9336 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9337 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9338 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9340 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9341 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9342 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9343 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9344 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9345 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9346 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9347 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9349 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9350 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9351 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9352 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9353 displayed. This variable overrides
9354 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9355 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9358 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9359 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9360 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9362 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9363 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9364 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9365 default value is @code{nil}.
9367 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9368 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9369 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9370 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9371 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9372 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9373 save all jpegs into some directory).
9375 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9378 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9379 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9381 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9382 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9383 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9384 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9385 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9388 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9389 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9390 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9392 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9393 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9394 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9396 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9397 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9398 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9400 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9401 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} in @ref{Display Customization,
9402 Display Customization, , emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}. Images or
9403 other material inside a "multipart/related" part might be overlooked
9404 when this variable is @code{nil}.
9406 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9407 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9408 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9409 overrides @code{nil} values of
9410 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9411 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9413 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9414 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9415 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9416 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9418 Ready-made functions include@*
9419 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9420 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9421 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9422 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9423 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9424 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9425 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9426 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9427 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9428 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9429 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9430 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9432 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9433 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9435 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9436 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9437 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9440 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9441 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9442 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9443 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9447 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9456 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9457 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9458 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9459 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9460 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9461 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9462 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9464 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9465 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9466 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9467 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9469 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9470 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9471 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9472 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9473 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9474 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9475 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9476 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9477 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9479 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9480 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9481 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9482 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9483 quoted-printable header encoding.
9485 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9486 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9487 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9491 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9494 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9495 means encode all charsets),
9497 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9498 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9499 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9506 @cindex coding system aliases
9507 @cindex preferred charset
9509 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9510 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9511 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9513 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9515 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9516 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9519 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9520 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9523 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9524 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9526 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9529 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9532 This will almost do the right thing.
9534 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9538 (codepage-setup 1251)
9539 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9543 @node Article Commands
9544 @section Article Commands
9551 @kindex A P (Summary)
9552 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9553 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9554 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9555 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9556 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9557 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9562 @node Summary Sorting
9563 @section Summary Sorting
9564 @cindex summary sorting
9566 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9567 can't really see why you'd want that.
9572 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9573 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9574 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9577 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9578 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9579 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9582 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9583 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9584 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9587 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9588 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9589 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9592 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9593 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9594 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9597 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9598 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9599 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9602 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9603 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9604 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9607 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9608 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9609 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9612 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9613 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9614 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9617 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9618 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9619 Sort using the default sorting method
9620 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9623 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9624 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9625 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9626 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9627 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9631 @node Finding the Parent
9632 @section Finding the Parent
9633 @cindex parent articles
9634 @cindex referring articles
9639 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9640 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9641 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9642 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9643 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9644 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9645 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9646 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9647 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9649 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9650 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9651 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9652 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9653 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9657 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9658 @kindex A R (Summary)
9659 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9660 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9663 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9664 @kindex A T (Summary)
9665 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9666 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9667 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9668 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9669 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9670 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9671 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9673 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9674 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9675 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9676 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9677 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9678 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9681 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9682 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9684 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9685 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9686 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9687 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9688 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9689 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9690 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9693 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9694 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9695 by giving this command a prefix.
9697 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9698 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9699 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9700 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9701 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9702 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9705 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9706 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9707 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9710 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9711 then ask Google if that fails:
9714 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9716 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9719 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9720 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9721 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9722 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9723 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9724 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9725 not support this at all.
9728 @node Alternative Approaches
9729 @section Alternative Approaches
9731 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9732 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9735 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9736 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9741 @subsection Pick and Read
9742 @cindex pick and read
9744 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9745 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9746 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9747 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9749 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9750 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9751 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9752 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9753 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9754 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9756 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9761 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9762 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9763 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9764 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9765 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9766 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9767 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9768 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9771 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9772 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9773 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9774 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9778 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9779 Unpick the thread or article
9780 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9781 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9782 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9783 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9784 the thread or article at that line.
9788 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9789 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9790 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9791 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9792 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9793 will still be visible when you are reading.
9797 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9798 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9799 which is mapped to the same function
9800 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9802 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9805 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9808 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9809 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9811 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9812 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9813 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9815 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9816 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9817 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9818 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9819 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9820 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9821 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9825 @subsection Binary Groups
9826 @cindex binary groups
9828 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9829 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9830 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9831 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9832 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9833 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9834 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9837 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9838 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9839 command, when you have turned on this mode
9840 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9842 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9843 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9847 @section Tree Display
9850 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9851 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9852 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9853 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9856 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9859 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9860 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9861 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9863 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9864 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9865 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9866 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9867 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9869 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9870 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9871 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9872 default is @code{modeline}.
9874 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9875 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9876 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9877 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9878 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9879 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9880 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9886 The name of the poster.
9888 The @code{From} header.
9890 The number of the article.
9892 The opening bracket.
9894 The closing bracket.
9899 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9901 Variables related to the display are:
9904 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9905 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9906 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9907 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9909 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9910 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9911 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9913 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9915 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9916 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9917 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9918 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9922 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9923 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9924 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9925 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9926 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9927 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9928 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9929 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9930 other windows displayed next to it.
9932 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9936 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9937 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9940 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9941 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9942 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9943 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9944 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9945 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9946 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9950 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9953 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9963 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9968 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9969 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9971 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9973 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9979 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9980 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9981 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9984 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9985 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9986 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9987 (gnus-add-configuration
9991 (summary 0.75 point)
9996 @xref{Window Layout}.
9999 @node Mail Group Commands
10000 @section Mail Group Commands
10001 @cindex mail group commands
10003 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10004 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10006 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10007 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10012 @kindex B e (Summary)
10013 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10014 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10015 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10016 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10017 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10020 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10021 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10022 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10023 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10024 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10025 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10028 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10029 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10030 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10031 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10032 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10033 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10036 @kindex B m (Summary)
10038 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10039 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10040 Move the article from one mail group to another
10041 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10042 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10045 @kindex B c (Summary)
10047 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10048 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10049 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10050 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10051 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10054 @kindex B B (Summary)
10055 @cindex crosspost mail
10056 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10057 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10058 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10059 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10060 be properly updated.
10063 @kindex B i (Summary)
10064 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10065 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10066 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10067 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10070 @kindex B I (Summary)
10071 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10072 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10073 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10074 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10077 @kindex B r (Summary)
10078 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10079 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10080 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10081 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10082 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10083 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10084 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10085 (which is the default).
10089 @kindex B w (Summary)
10090 @kindex e (Summary)
10091 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10092 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10093 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10094 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10095 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10096 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10097 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10100 @kindex B q (Summary)
10101 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10102 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10103 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10104 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10107 @kindex B t (Summary)
10108 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10109 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10110 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10113 @kindex B p (Summary)
10114 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10115 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10116 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10117 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10118 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10119 article from your news server (or rather, from
10120 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10121 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10122 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10123 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10124 just not have arrived yet.
10127 @kindex K E (Summary)
10128 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10129 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10130 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10131 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10132 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10136 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10137 @cindex moving articles
10138 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
10139 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10140 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10141 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10142 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10143 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10144 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10147 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10148 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10149 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10150 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10154 @node Various Summary Stuff
10155 @section Various Summary Stuff
10158 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10159 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10160 * Summary Generation Commands::
10161 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10165 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10166 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10167 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10168 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10169 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10170 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10172 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10173 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10174 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10177 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10178 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10179 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10181 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10182 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10183 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10184 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10185 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10186 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10189 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10190 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10191 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10192 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10193 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10195 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10196 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10197 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10200 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10201 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10202 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10203 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10204 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10205 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10206 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
10207 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10208 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10209 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10211 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10212 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10213 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10214 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10215 list of articles to be selected.
10217 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10218 the list in one particular group:
10221 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10222 (if (string= group "some.group")
10223 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10227 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10228 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10229 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10230 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10231 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10234 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10235 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10236 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10237 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10238 variable will be used instead.
10240 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10241 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10242 buffers. For example:
10245 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10246 '(message-use-followup-to
10247 (gnus-visible-headers .
10248 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10251 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10255 @node Summary Group Information
10256 @subsection Summary Group Information
10261 @kindex H f (Summary)
10262 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10263 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10264 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10265 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10266 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10267 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10268 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10269 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10270 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10273 @kindex H d (Summary)
10274 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10275 Give a brief description of the current group
10276 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10277 rereading the description from the server.
10280 @kindex H h (Summary)
10281 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10282 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10283 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10286 @kindex H i (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10288 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10292 @node Searching for Articles
10293 @subsection Searching for Articles
10298 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10299 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10300 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10301 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10304 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10305 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10306 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10307 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10310 @kindex & (Summary)
10311 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10312 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10313 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10314 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10315 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10316 search backward instead.
10318 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10319 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10322 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10323 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10324 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10325 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10328 @node Summary Generation Commands
10329 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10334 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10335 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10336 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10339 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10340 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10341 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10342 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10345 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10346 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10347 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10348 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10353 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10354 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10360 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10361 @kindex A D (Summary)
10362 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10363 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10364 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10365 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10366 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10367 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10368 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10369 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10373 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10374 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10375 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10376 several documents into one biiig group
10377 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10378 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10379 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10380 command understands the process/prefix convention
10381 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10384 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10385 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10386 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10387 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10388 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10389 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10392 @kindex = (Summary)
10393 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10394 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10395 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10398 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10399 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10400 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10401 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10404 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10405 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10406 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10407 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10412 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10413 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10414 @cindex summary exit
10415 @cindex exiting groups
10417 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10418 group and return you to the group buffer.
10425 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10426 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10427 @kindex q (Summary)
10428 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10429 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10430 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10431 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10432 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10433 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10434 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10435 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10436 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10437 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10438 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10439 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10443 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10444 @kindex Q (Summary)
10445 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10446 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10447 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10451 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10452 @kindex c (Summary)
10453 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10454 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10455 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10456 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10459 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10460 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10461 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10462 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10465 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10466 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10467 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10468 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10472 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10473 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10474 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10475 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10476 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10477 all articles, both read and unread.
10481 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10482 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10483 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10484 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10485 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10486 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10487 articles, both read and unread.
10490 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10491 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10492 Exit the group and go to the next group
10493 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10496 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10497 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10498 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10499 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10502 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10503 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10504 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10505 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10506 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10507 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10510 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10511 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10512 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10513 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10515 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10516 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10517 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10518 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10519 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10520 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10521 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10522 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10523 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10524 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10525 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10526 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10528 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10530 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10531 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10532 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10533 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10534 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10535 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10536 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10537 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10538 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10541 @node Crosspost Handling
10542 @section Crosspost Handling
10546 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10547 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10548 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10549 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10550 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10551 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10554 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10555 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10556 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10557 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10558 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10560 @cindex cross-posting
10562 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10563 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10564 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10565 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10566 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10567 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10568 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10569 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10570 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10571 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10572 the cross reference mechanism.
10574 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10575 @cindex overview.fmt
10576 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10577 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10578 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10579 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10580 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10581 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10584 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10585 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10586 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10591 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10594 @node Duplicate Suppression
10595 @section Duplicate Suppression
10597 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10598 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10599 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10600 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10605 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10606 is evil and not very common.
10609 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10610 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10613 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10614 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10617 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10620 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10621 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10623 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10624 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10625 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10626 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10627 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10628 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10629 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10632 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10633 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10634 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10635 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10636 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10637 saw the article in.
10640 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10641 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10642 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10644 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10645 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10646 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10647 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10648 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10649 session are suppressed.
10651 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10652 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10653 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10654 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10656 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10657 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10658 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10659 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10662 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10663 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10664 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10665 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10666 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10667 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10668 to you to figure out, I think.
10673 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10674 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10675 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10680 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10681 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10682 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10683 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10686 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10687 or newer is recommended.
10691 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10692 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10695 @item mm-verify-option
10696 @vindex mm-verify-option
10697 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10698 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10699 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10701 @item mm-decrypt-option
10702 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10703 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10704 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10705 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10708 @vindex mml1991-use
10709 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10710 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10711 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10715 @vindex mml2015-use
10716 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10717 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10718 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10723 @cindex snarfing keys
10724 @cindex importing PGP keys
10725 @cindex PGP key ring import
10726 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10727 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10728 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10729 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10730 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10731 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10732 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10733 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10734 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10737 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10740 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10741 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10744 @section Mailing List
10745 @cindex mailing list
10748 @kindex A M (summary)
10749 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10750 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10751 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10752 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10755 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10760 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10761 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10762 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10765 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10766 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10767 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10770 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10771 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10772 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10776 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10777 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10778 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10781 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10782 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10783 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10786 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10787 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10788 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10793 @node Article Buffer
10794 @chapter Article Buffer
10795 @cindex article buffer
10797 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10798 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10799 tell gnus otherwise.
10802 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10803 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10804 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10805 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10806 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10810 @node Hiding Headers
10811 @section Hiding Headers
10812 @cindex hiding headers
10813 @cindex deleting headers
10815 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10816 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10818 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10819 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10820 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10821 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10822 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10823 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10824 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10825 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10826 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10828 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10832 @item gnus-visible-headers
10833 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10834 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10835 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10836 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10838 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10839 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10842 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10845 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10848 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10849 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10850 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10851 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10852 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10853 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10855 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10856 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10859 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10862 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10865 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10866 variable will have no effect.
10870 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10871 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10872 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10873 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10874 the headers are to be displayed.
10876 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10877 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10880 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10883 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10884 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10886 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10887 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10888 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10889 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10890 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10891 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10892 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10895 These conditions are:
10898 Remove all empty headers.
10900 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10901 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10903 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10904 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10907 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10910 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10911 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10913 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10914 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10916 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10917 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10919 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10922 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10924 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10927 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10930 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10931 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10934 This is also the default value for this variable.
10938 @section Using MIME
10939 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10941 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10942 while people stand around yawning.
10944 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10945 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10947 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10948 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10949 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10951 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10952 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10953 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10954 gnus handles @acronym{MIME} by pushing the articles through
10955 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10956 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10957 calls the @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For
10958 more information on @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View, see its manual page
10959 (however it is not existed yet, sorry).
10961 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10962 @acronym{MIME} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set,
10963 then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10964 These can't be avoided.
10966 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10967 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10968 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10969 @acronym{MIME} has decoded the sound file in the article and some
10970 horrible sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you
10971 can't find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are
10972 starting to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't,
10973 and you can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else
10974 in the room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll
10975 feel rather stupid.)
10977 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10979 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10980 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10981 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10982 buffer when there are nobody else.
10984 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10987 @node Customizing Articles
10988 @section Customizing Articles
10989 @cindex article customization
10991 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10992 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10993 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10994 called automatically when you select the articles.
10996 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10997 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10998 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10999 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11001 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11002 for sensible values.
11006 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11009 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11012 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11015 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
11018 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11022 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11023 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11024 regexps in the list.
11027 A list where the first element is not a string:
11029 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11030 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11031 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11035 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11039 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
11044 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11045 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11046 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11047 considered to contain just a single part.
11049 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11050 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11051 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11052 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11053 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11054 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11055 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11057 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11058 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11059 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11060 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11063 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11064 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11066 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11068 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11069 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11070 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11071 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11072 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11073 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11074 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11075 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11076 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11077 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11078 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
11080 @xref{Article Washing}.
11082 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11083 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11084 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11085 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11086 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11087 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11088 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11090 @xref{Article Date}.
11092 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11093 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11094 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11098 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11100 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11102 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11103 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11104 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11108 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11112 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11116 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11117 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11118 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11119 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11120 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11121 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11122 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11123 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11124 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11125 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11127 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11129 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11130 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11131 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11133 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11135 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11136 @item gnus-treat-translate
11137 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11138 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11140 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11141 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11142 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11143 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11145 @xref{Article Header}.
11150 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11151 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11152 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11153 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11154 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11158 @node Article Keymap
11159 @section Article Keymap
11161 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11162 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11163 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11164 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11167 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11172 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11173 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11174 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11175 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11178 @kindex DEL (Article)
11179 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11180 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11181 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11184 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11185 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11186 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11187 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11188 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11191 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11192 @findex gnus-article-mail
11193 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11194 given a prefix, include the mail.
11197 @kindex s (Article)
11198 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11199 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11200 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11203 @kindex ? (Article)
11204 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11205 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11206 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11209 @kindex TAB (Article)
11210 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11211 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11212 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11215 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11216 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11217 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11220 @kindex R (Article)
11221 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11222 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11223 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11224 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11228 @kindex F (Article)
11229 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11230 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11231 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11232 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11240 @section Misc Article
11244 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11245 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11246 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11247 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11250 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11251 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11252 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11253 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11254 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11256 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11257 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11258 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11259 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11260 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11261 the contents of the article buffer.
11263 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11264 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11265 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11267 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11268 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11269 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11270 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11272 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11273 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11274 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11275 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11277 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11278 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11279 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11280 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11281 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11282 with two extensions:
11287 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11288 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11289 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11294 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11297 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11300 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11301 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11302 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11305 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11308 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11311 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11316 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11320 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11322 @item gnus-break-pages
11323 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11324 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11325 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11326 paging will not be done.
11328 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11329 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11330 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11334 @cindex internationalized domain names
11335 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11336 @item gnus-use-idna
11337 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11338 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11339 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11340 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11341 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11342 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11347 @node Composing Messages
11348 @chapter Composing Messages
11349 @cindex composing messages
11352 @cindex sending mail
11357 @cindex using s/mime
11358 @cindex using smime
11360 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11361 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11362 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11363 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11364 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11365 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11368 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11369 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11370 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11371 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11372 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11373 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11374 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11375 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11376 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11379 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11380 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11386 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11389 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11390 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11391 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11392 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11393 @code{nil} include all headers.
11395 @item gnus-add-to-list
11396 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11397 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11398 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11400 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11401 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11402 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11403 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11404 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11405 confirmation is should be asked for.
11407 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11408 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11410 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11411 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11412 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11413 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11414 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11419 @node Posting Server
11420 @section Posting Server
11422 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11423 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11425 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11427 It can be quite complicated.
11429 @vindex gnus-post-method
11430 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11431 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11432 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11433 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11434 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11435 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11436 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11437 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11438 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11441 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11444 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11445 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11446 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11447 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11449 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11450 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11452 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11453 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11456 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11457 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11459 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11460 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11461 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11462 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11463 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11464 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11465 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11466 package correctly. An example:
11469 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11470 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11471 ;; @r{The following variable needs to be set if you are using smtpmail.el}
11472 ;; @r{distributed with FLIM, lesser than the version 1.14.6.}
11473 (setq smtp-default-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11476 To the thing similar to this, there is
11477 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11478 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11479 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11481 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11482 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11483 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11485 @node POP before SMTP
11486 @section POP before SMTP
11487 @cindex pop before smtp
11488 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11489 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11491 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11492 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11493 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11494 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11495 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11498 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11499 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11503 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11504 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11505 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11506 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11507 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11508 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11509 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11510 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11512 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11513 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11514 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11515 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11516 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11517 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11520 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11521 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11522 :password "secret"))
11526 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11527 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11530 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11532 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11533 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11534 :password "secret")))
11535 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11538 @node Mail and Post
11539 @section Mail and Post
11541 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11545 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11546 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11547 @cindex mailing lists
11549 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11550 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11551 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11552 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11553 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11554 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11555 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11556 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11557 still a pain, though.
11559 @item gnus-user-agent
11560 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11563 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11564 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11565 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11566 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11567 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11568 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11569 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11573 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11574 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11575 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11578 @findex ispell-message
11580 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11583 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11584 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11587 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11591 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11592 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11594 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11597 Modify to suit your needs.
11600 @node Archived Messages
11601 @section Archived Messages
11602 @cindex archived messages
11603 @cindex sent messages
11605 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11606 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11607 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11608 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11611 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11612 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11615 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11616 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11617 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11620 (nnfolder "archive"
11621 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11622 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11623 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11624 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11627 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11628 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11629 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11630 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11633 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11634 '(nnfolder "archive"
11635 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11636 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11637 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11640 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11642 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11643 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11644 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11646 This variable can be used to do the following:
11650 Messages will be saved in that group.
11652 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11653 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11654 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11655 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11656 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11657 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11658 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11659 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11662 @item a list of strings
11663 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11665 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11666 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11669 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11674 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11676 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11679 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11681 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11684 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11686 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11687 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11688 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11689 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11692 More complex stuff:
11694 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11695 '((if (message-news-p)
11700 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11701 messages in one file per month:
11704 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11705 '((if (message-news-p)
11707 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11710 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11711 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11713 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11714 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11715 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11716 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11717 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11718 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11719 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11720 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11721 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11722 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11724 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11725 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11726 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11727 this will disable archiving.
11730 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11731 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11732 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11733 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11734 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11737 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11738 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11739 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11742 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11743 but the latter is the preferred method.
11745 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11746 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11747 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11749 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11750 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11751 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11752 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11753 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11754 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11755 changed in the future.
11760 @node Posting Styles
11761 @section Posting Styles
11762 @cindex posting styles
11765 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11767 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11768 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11769 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11772 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11773 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11774 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11775 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11776 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11781 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11782 (organization "What me?"))
11784 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11785 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11786 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11789 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11790 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11791 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11792 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11793 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11794 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11795 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11796 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11798 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11799 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11800 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11801 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11802 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11803 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11804 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11805 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11806 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11807 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11808 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11809 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11810 said to @dfn{match}.
11812 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11813 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
11814 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
11815 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
11816 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
11817 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
11818 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
11819 name can be one of:
11822 @item @code{signature}
11823 @item @code{signature-file}
11824 @item @code{x-face-file}
11825 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11826 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11830 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11831 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11832 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11833 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11834 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11836 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11837 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11838 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11839 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11840 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11841 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11842 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11843 references chars lines xref extra.
11845 @vindex message-reply-headers
11847 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11848 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11849 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11851 @findex message-mail-p
11852 @findex message-news-p
11854 So here's a new example:
11857 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11859 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11861 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11862 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11864 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11865 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11866 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11867 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11868 (signature my-news-signature))
11869 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11870 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11871 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11872 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11873 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11874 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11875 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11876 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11877 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11878 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11880 (From (save-excursion
11881 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11882 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11884 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11887 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11888 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11889 if you fill many roles.
11891 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11892 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11893 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11894 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11895 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11896 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11897 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11898 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11903 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11905 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11907 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11908 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11911 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11914 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11915 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11922 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11923 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11924 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11925 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11926 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11928 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11929 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11930 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11931 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11932 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11936 @vindex nndraft-directory
11937 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11938 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11939 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11940 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11941 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11942 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11944 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11945 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11946 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11947 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11948 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11949 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11950 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11951 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11952 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11954 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11955 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11956 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11957 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11958 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11959 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11960 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11961 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11962 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11963 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11964 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11965 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11966 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11967 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11969 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11970 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11971 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11973 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11974 @kindex D e (Draft)
11975 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11976 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11977 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11979 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11982 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11983 @kindex D s (Draft)
11984 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11985 @kindex D S (Draft)
11986 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11987 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11988 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11989 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11990 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11993 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11994 @kindex D t (Draft)
11995 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11996 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11997 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12000 @node Rejected Articles
12001 @section Rejected Articles
12002 @cindex rejected articles
12004 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12005 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12006 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12007 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12009 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
12010 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12011 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12012 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
12013 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12015 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12016 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12017 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12019 @node Signing and encrypting
12020 @section Signing and encrypting
12022 @cindex using s/mime
12023 @cindex using smime
12025 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12026 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12027 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12028 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12030 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12031 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12032 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12033 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12034 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12035 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12036 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12037 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12038 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12039 automatically encrypted messages.
12041 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12042 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12043 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12048 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12049 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12051 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12054 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12055 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12057 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12060 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12061 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12063 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12066 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12067 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12069 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12072 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12073 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12075 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12078 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12079 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12081 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12084 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12085 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12086 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12090 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12092 @node Select Methods
12093 @chapter Select Methods
12094 @cindex foreign groups
12095 @cindex select methods
12097 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12098 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12099 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12100 personal mail group.
12102 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12103 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12104 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12105 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12106 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12107 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12109 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12110 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12112 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12115 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12116 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12117 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12118 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12119 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12121 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12124 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12125 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12126 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12127 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12128 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12129 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12130 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12131 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12135 @node Server Buffer
12136 @section Server Buffer
12138 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12139 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12140 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12141 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12142 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12143 back end represents a virtual server.
12145 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12146 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12147 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12148 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12150 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12151 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12152 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12153 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12154 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12155 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12156 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12158 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12159 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12162 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12163 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12164 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12165 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12166 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12167 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12168 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12171 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12172 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12175 @node Server Buffer Format
12176 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12177 @cindex server buffer format
12179 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12180 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12181 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12182 variable, with some simple extensions:
12187 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12190 The name of this server.
12193 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12196 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12199 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12200 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12201 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12202 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12212 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12215 @node Server Commands
12216 @subsection Server Commands
12217 @cindex server commands
12223 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12224 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12228 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12229 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12232 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12233 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12234 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12238 @findex gnus-server-exit
12239 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12243 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12244 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12248 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12249 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12253 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12254 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12258 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12259 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12263 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12264 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12265 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12270 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12271 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12272 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12273 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12278 @node Example Methods
12279 @subsection Example Methods
12281 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12284 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12287 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12293 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12294 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12297 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12298 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12300 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12301 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12305 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12308 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12309 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12311 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12312 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12313 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12317 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12320 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12323 Here's the method for a public spool:
12327 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12328 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12334 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12335 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12336 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12337 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12338 should probably look something like this:
12342 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12343 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12344 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12345 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12348 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12349 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12350 configuration to the example above:
12353 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12356 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12358 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12359 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12360 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12364 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12365 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12366 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12367 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12370 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12371 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12372 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12373 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12376 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12377 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12379 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12380 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12382 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12383 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12384 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12386 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12388 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12389 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12390 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12391 will contain the following:
12401 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12402 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12405 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12406 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12407 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12410 @node Server Variables
12411 @subsection Server Variables
12412 @cindex server variables
12413 @cindex server parameters
12415 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12416 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12417 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12418 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12419 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12421 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12422 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12423 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12424 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12425 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12426 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12427 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12428 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12429 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12433 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12434 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12435 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12438 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12440 @node Servers and Methods
12441 @subsection Servers and Methods
12443 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12444 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12445 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12446 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12450 @node Unavailable Servers
12451 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12453 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12454 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12455 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12456 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12457 actually the case or not.
12459 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12460 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12461 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12462 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12463 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12464 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12465 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12466 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12468 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12469 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12471 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12472 with the following commands:
12478 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12479 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12480 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12484 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12485 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12486 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12490 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12491 Mark the current server as unreachable
12492 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12495 @kindex M-o (Server)
12496 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12497 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12498 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12501 @kindex M-c (Server)
12502 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12503 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12504 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12508 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12509 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12510 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12514 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12515 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12521 @section Getting News
12522 @cindex reading news
12523 @cindex news back ends
12525 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12526 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12527 or it can read from a local spool.
12530 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12531 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12539 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12540 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12541 server as the, uhm, address.
12543 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12544 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12545 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12546 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12548 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12549 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12550 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12552 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12557 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12558 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12559 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12561 @cindex authentification
12562 @cindex nntp authentification
12563 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12564 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12565 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12566 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12567 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12568 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12569 present in this hook.
12571 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12572 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12573 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12574 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12575 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12576 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12577 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12578 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12579 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12580 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12581 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12582 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12586 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12589 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12591 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12592 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12593 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12594 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12595 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12596 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12597 @samp{force} is explained below.
12601 Here's an example file:
12604 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12605 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12608 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12609 have to be first, for instance.
12611 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12612 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12613 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12614 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12615 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12616 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12617 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12619 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12620 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12626 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12627 previously mentioned.
12629 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12631 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12632 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12633 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12634 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12635 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12638 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12639 '(("innd" (ding))))
12642 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12644 The default value is
12647 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12648 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12649 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12652 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12653 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12655 @item nntp-maximum-request
12656 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12657 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12658 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12659 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12660 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12661 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12662 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12664 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12665 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12666 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12667 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12668 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12669 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12670 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12671 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12672 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12673 no timeouts are done.
12675 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12676 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12677 @c @cindex PPP connections
12678 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12679 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12680 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12681 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12682 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12683 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12684 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12685 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12686 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12687 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12689 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12690 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12691 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12692 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12693 @c described above.
12695 @item nntp-server-hook
12696 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12697 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12700 @item nntp-buggy-select
12701 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12702 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12704 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12705 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12706 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12707 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12710 @item nntp-xover-commands
12711 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12712 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12714 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12715 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12719 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12720 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12721 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12722 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12723 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12724 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12725 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12726 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12727 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12728 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12729 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12731 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12732 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12733 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12735 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12736 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12737 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12738 server closes connection.
12740 @item nntp-record-commands
12741 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12742 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12743 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12744 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12745 that doesn't seem to work.
12747 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12748 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12749 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12750 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12751 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12752 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12753 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12754 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12756 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12757 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12758 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12759 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12760 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12761 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12762 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12765 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12768 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12769 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12771 @item nntp-read-timeout
12772 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12773 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12774 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12775 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12776 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12779 @item nntp-list-options
12780 @vindex nntp-list-options
12781 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12782 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12783 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12784 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12785 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12789 (setq gnus-select-method
12790 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12791 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12794 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12795 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12796 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12797 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12798 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12799 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12800 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12803 (setq gnus-select-method
12804 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12805 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12808 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12809 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12810 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12811 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12812 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12813 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12814 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12817 (setq gnus-select-method
12818 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12819 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12824 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12825 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12826 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12827 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
12831 @node Direct Functions
12832 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12833 @cindex direct connection functions
12835 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12836 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12837 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12838 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12841 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12842 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12843 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12846 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12847 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12848 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12849 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12850 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12853 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12854 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12856 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12857 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12858 (nntp-port-number )
12859 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12862 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12863 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12864 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12865 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12866 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12867 then define a server as follows:
12870 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12871 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12873 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12874 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12875 (nntp-port-number 563)
12876 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12879 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12880 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12881 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12882 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12883 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12884 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12885 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12886 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12890 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12891 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12892 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12895 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12896 session, which is not a good idea.
12900 @node Indirect Functions
12901 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12902 @cindex indirect connection functions
12904 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12905 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12906 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12907 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12908 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12909 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12912 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12913 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12914 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12915 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12916 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12918 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12921 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12922 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12923 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12924 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12926 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12927 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12928 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12929 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12930 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12931 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12932 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12933 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12937 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
12938 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12940 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12941 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
12942 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{netcat}
12943 (@uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/}) instead of @samp{telnet} to
12944 connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
12946 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
12949 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
12950 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
12951 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
12952 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
12953 programs like @samp{connect}
12954 (@uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html}) instead.
12956 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
12957 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
12958 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12959 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
12961 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12962 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12963 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12965 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12966 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12967 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
12970 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12971 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12972 Does essentially also the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12973 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12975 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12978 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12979 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12980 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12983 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12984 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12985 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12986 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12988 @item nntp-via-user-password
12989 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12990 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12992 @item nntp-via-envuser
12993 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12994 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12995 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12996 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12998 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12999 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13000 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13001 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13005 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13006 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13010 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13015 @item nntp-via-user-name
13016 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13017 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13019 @item nntp-via-address
13020 @vindex nntp-via-address
13021 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13026 @node Common Variables
13027 @subsubsection Common Variables
13029 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13030 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13035 @item nntp-pre-command
13036 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13037 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13038 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13039 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
13040 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13043 @vindex nntp-address
13044 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13046 @item nntp-port-number
13047 @vindex nntp-port-number
13048 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13049 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13050 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13051 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13052 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13053 not work with named ports.
13055 @item nntp-end-of-line
13056 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13057 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13058 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13059 using a non native telnet connection function.
13061 @item nntp-telnet-command
13062 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13063 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13064 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13065 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13068 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13069 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13070 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13076 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13077 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13079 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13080 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13081 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13082 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13083 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13084 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13085 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13086 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13088 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13089 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13090 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13091 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13092 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13094 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13095 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13096 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13097 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13098 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13099 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13100 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13102 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13103 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13104 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13110 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13111 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13112 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13113 default is @code{nil}.
13115 @item nntp-marks-directory
13116 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13117 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13123 @subsection News Spool
13127 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13128 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13129 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13132 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13133 anything else) as the address.
13135 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13136 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13137 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13138 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13142 @item nnspool-inews-program
13143 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13144 Program used to post an article.
13146 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13147 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13148 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13150 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13151 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13152 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13153 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13155 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13156 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13157 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13158 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13160 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13161 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13162 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13164 @item nnspool-active-file
13165 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13166 The name of the active file.
13168 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13169 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13170 The name of the group descriptions file.
13172 @item nnspool-history-file
13173 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13174 The name of the news history file.
13176 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13177 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13178 The name of the active date file.
13180 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13181 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13182 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13185 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13186 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13188 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13189 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13190 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13197 @section Getting Mail
13198 @cindex reading mail
13201 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13205 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13206 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13207 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13208 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13209 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13210 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13211 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13212 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13213 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13214 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13215 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13216 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13217 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13221 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13222 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13224 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13225 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13226 of a culture shock.
13228 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13229 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13231 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13232 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13233 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13234 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13236 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13238 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13239 deleted? How awful!
13241 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13242 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13243 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13244 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13247 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13248 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13249 they want to treat a message.
13251 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13252 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13253 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13254 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13255 archived somewhere else.
13257 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13258 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13259 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13260 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13261 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13263 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13264 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13265 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13267 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13268 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13271 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13272 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13273 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13274 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13275 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13277 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13278 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13279 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13280 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13281 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13282 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13286 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13287 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13289 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13290 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13291 and things will happen automatically.
13293 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13294 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13297 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13300 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13301 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13302 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13303 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13304 like any other group.
13306 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13309 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13310 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13311 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13315 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13316 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13317 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13320 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13321 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13322 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13325 @node Splitting Mail
13326 @subsection Splitting Mail
13327 @cindex splitting mail
13328 @cindex mail splitting
13329 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13331 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13332 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13333 to be split into groups.
13336 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13337 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13338 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13339 ("mail.other" "")))
13342 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13343 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13344 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13345 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13346 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13347 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13348 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13351 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13355 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13356 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13358 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13359 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13360 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13361 mail belongs in that group.
13363 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13364 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13365 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13366 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13367 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13368 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13369 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13370 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13371 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13372 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13374 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13375 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13376 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13377 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13378 thinks should carry this mail message.
13380 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13381 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13382 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13383 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13385 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13386 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13387 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13388 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13389 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13391 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13394 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13395 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13396 links. If that's the case for you, set
13397 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13398 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13400 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13401 @findex nnmail-split-history
13402 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13403 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13404 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13405 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13408 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13409 Header lines longer than the value of
13410 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13413 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13414 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13415 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13416 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13417 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13418 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13419 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13420 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13422 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13423 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13424 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13425 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13426 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13427 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13428 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13429 other kinds of entries.)
13431 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13432 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13433 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13434 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13435 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13436 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13437 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13438 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13439 month's rent money.
13443 @subsection Mail Sources
13445 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13446 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13447 maildir, for instance.
13450 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13451 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13452 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13456 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13457 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13459 @cindex mail server
13462 @cindex mail source
13464 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13465 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13470 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13473 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13474 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13475 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13478 The following mail source types are available:
13482 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13488 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13489 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13490 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13494 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13497 An example file mail source:
13500 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13503 Or using the default file name:
13509 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13510 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13511 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13512 mail spool while moving the mail.
13514 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13518 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13521 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13525 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13528 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13530 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13533 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13537 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13538 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13539 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13540 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13541 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13542 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13543 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13544 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13545 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13546 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13548 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13549 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13550 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13551 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13557 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13561 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13565 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13566 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13567 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13568 predicate are considered.
13572 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13576 An example directory mail source:
13579 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13584 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13590 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13591 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13594 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13595 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13596 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13597 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13598 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13601 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13605 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13606 the user is prompted.
13609 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13610 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13613 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13616 The valid format specifier characters are:
13620 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13621 included in this string.
13624 The name of the server.
13627 The port number of the server.
13630 The user name to use.
13633 The password to use.
13636 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13637 corresponding keywords.
13640 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13641 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13644 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13645 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13648 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13649 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13650 mail should be moved to.
13652 @item :authentication
13653 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13654 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13658 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13659 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13660 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13661 programs and libraries:
13665 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13666 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13667 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13669 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13670 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13675 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13676 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13680 @vindex pop3-movemail
13681 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13682 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13683 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13684 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13685 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13686 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13687 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13688 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13689 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13691 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13692 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13698 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13701 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13702 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13705 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13708 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13712 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13713 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13714 contains exactly one mail.
13720 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13721 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13724 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13725 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13727 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13728 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13729 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13732 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13733 from locking problems).
13737 Two example maildir mail sources:
13740 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13741 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13745 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13750 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13751 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13752 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13753 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13754 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13756 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13757 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13763 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13764 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13767 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13768 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13771 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13775 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13779 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13780 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13781 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13782 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13784 @item :authentication
13785 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13786 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13787 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13788 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13791 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13792 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13793 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13799 The valid format specifier characters are:
13803 The name of the server.
13806 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13809 The port number of the server.
13812 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13813 corresponding keywords.
13816 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13817 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13820 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13821 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13822 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13823 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13824 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13825 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13828 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13829 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13830 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13831 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13834 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13835 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13839 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13842 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13844 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13848 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13849 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13850 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13852 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13853 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13855 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13861 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13862 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13865 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13869 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13873 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13874 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13878 An example webmail source:
13881 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13883 :password "secret")
13888 @item Common Keywords
13889 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13895 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13896 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13901 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13906 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13907 useful when you use local mail and news.
13912 @subsubsection Function Interface
13914 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13915 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13916 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13917 consider the following mail-source setting:
13920 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13921 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13924 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13925 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13926 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13927 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13928 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13930 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13933 @node Mail Source Customization
13934 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13936 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13937 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13941 @item mail-source-crash-box
13942 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13943 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13944 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13946 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13947 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13948 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13949 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13950 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13951 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13952 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13953 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13955 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13956 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13957 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13958 files. This variable only applies when
13959 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13961 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13962 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13963 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13965 @item mail-source-directory
13966 @vindex mail-source-directory
13967 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
13968 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
13969 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
13970 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
13972 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13973 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13974 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13975 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13976 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13977 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13979 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13980 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13981 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13983 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13984 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13985 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13986 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13991 @node Fetching Mail
13992 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13994 @vindex mail-sources
13995 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13996 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13997 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13998 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14000 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14001 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14004 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14005 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14010 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14011 :password "secret")))
14014 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14018 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14019 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14022 :password "secret")))
14026 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14027 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14028 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14029 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14030 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14031 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14035 @node Mail Back End Variables
14036 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14038 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14042 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14043 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14044 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14045 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14047 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14048 @item nnmail-split-hook
14049 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14050 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14051 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14052 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14053 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14054 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14055 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14056 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14057 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14060 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14061 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14062 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14063 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14064 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14065 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14066 starting to handle the new mail) and
14067 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14068 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14069 default file modes the new mail files get:
14072 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14073 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14075 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14076 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14079 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14080 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14081 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14082 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14083 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14084 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14085 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14087 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14088 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14089 @findex delete-file
14090 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14092 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14093 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14094 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14095 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14096 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14098 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14099 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14100 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14101 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14102 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14104 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14105 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14106 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14111 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14112 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14113 @cindex mail splitting
14114 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14116 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14117 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14118 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14119 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14120 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14121 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14123 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14126 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14127 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14128 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14129 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14131 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14132 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14133 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14134 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14135 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14136 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14137 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14138 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14139 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14140 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14141 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14142 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14143 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14144 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14145 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14146 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14147 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14151 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14152 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14153 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14158 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14159 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14161 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
14162 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14163 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14164 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14165 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14166 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14167 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14169 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14170 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14171 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14172 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14173 stored in one or more groups.
14175 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14176 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14177 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14180 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14181 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14183 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14184 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14185 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14186 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14189 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14190 body of the messages:
14193 (defun split-on-body ()
14197 (goto-char (point-min))
14198 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14202 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14203 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14204 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14205 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14206 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14207 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14208 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14210 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14211 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14212 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14213 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14214 should return a split.
14217 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14221 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14222 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
14223 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
14224 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
14225 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
14227 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14228 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14229 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14230 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14231 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14232 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14233 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14237 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14239 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14240 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14242 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14245 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14246 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14247 when all this splitting is performed.
14249 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14250 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14251 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14254 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14257 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14258 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14260 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14261 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14262 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14263 groupings 1 through 9.
14265 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14266 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14267 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14268 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14269 groups when users send to an address using different case
14270 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14273 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14274 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14275 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14277 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14278 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14279 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14280 surrounded by anything.
14283 (any "joe" "joemail")
14286 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14287 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14288 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to t, however, the
14289 match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word boundary is
14290 removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14292 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14293 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14294 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14295 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14296 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14297 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14298 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14299 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14300 it once per thread.
14302 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14303 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14304 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14305 using the colon feature, like so:
14307 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14308 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14310 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14311 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14315 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14316 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14317 in the file specified by the variable
14318 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14319 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14320 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14321 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14322 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14323 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14324 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14325 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14326 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14327 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14328 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14329 300 kBytes in size.)
14330 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14331 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14332 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14333 messages goes into the new group.
14335 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14336 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14337 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14338 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14339 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14340 ``outgoing'' group.
14343 @node Group Mail Splitting
14344 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14345 @cindex mail splitting
14346 @cindex group mail splitting
14348 @findex gnus-group-split
14349 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14350 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14351 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14352 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14353 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14354 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14355 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14356 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14358 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14359 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14360 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14361 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14363 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14364 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14365 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14366 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14367 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14368 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14369 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14371 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14372 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14373 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14374 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14375 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14376 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14377 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14379 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14380 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14381 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14382 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14383 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14384 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14385 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14386 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14387 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14388 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14389 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14390 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14391 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14393 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14398 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14399 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14401 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14402 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14403 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14404 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14406 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14409 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14410 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14411 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14414 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14415 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14416 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14420 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14421 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14422 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14426 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14429 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14430 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14431 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14432 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14433 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14434 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14435 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14436 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14437 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14439 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14440 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14441 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14442 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14443 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14444 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14445 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14446 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14447 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14449 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14450 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14451 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14452 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14453 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14454 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14457 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14460 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14461 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14462 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14463 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14464 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14467 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14468 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14469 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14470 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14472 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14473 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14474 @cindex incorporating old mail
14475 @cindex import old mail
14477 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14478 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14479 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14482 Doing so can be quite easy.
14484 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14485 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14486 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14487 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14488 your @code{nnml} groups.
14494 Go to the group buffer.
14497 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14498 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14501 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14504 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14505 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14508 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14509 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14512 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14513 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14514 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14515 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14516 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14518 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14519 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14520 using the new mail back end.
14523 @node Expiring Mail
14524 @subsection Expiring Mail
14525 @cindex article expiry
14527 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14528 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14529 different approach to mail reading.
14531 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14532 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14533 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14534 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14535 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14536 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14539 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14540 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14541 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14542 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14543 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14544 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14545 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14546 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14547 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14549 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14550 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14551 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14552 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14553 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14554 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14555 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14558 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14559 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14560 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14561 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14562 into its own group.)
14564 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14565 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14566 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14567 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14568 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14569 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14570 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14571 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14574 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14575 Groups that match the regular expression
14576 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14577 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14578 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14580 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14581 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14582 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14583 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14584 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14586 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14588 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14589 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14590 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14593 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14594 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14595 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14596 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14597 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14599 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14600 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14603 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14604 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14607 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14608 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14610 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14611 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14612 don't really mix very well.
14614 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14615 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14616 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14617 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14620 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14621 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14622 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14623 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14626 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14628 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14630 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14632 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14634 ((string= group "important")
14640 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14641 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14643 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14644 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14645 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14648 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14649 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14651 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14652 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14653 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14654 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14655 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14656 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14657 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14658 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14659 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14660 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14661 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14662 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14663 name or @code{delete}.
14665 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14667 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14670 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14671 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14672 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14673 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14674 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14677 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14678 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14679 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14680 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14681 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14684 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14685 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14686 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14687 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14688 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14689 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14691 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14692 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14693 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14694 easier for procmail users.
14696 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14697 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14698 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14699 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14700 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14701 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14702 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14703 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14704 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14705 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14706 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14707 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14708 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14711 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14713 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14714 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14715 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14716 auto-expire turned on.
14720 @subsection Washing Mail
14721 @cindex mail washing
14722 @cindex list server brain damage
14723 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14725 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14726 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14727 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14728 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14729 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14730 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14732 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14733 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14734 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14737 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14738 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14739 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14740 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14743 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14744 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14745 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14746 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14747 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14750 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14751 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14752 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14753 Emacs running on MS machines.
14757 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14758 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14759 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14760 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14763 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14764 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14765 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14766 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14768 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14769 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14770 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14771 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14772 into a feature by documenting it.)
14774 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14775 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14776 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14777 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14778 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14779 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14780 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14783 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14784 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14787 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14788 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14791 This can also be done non-destructively with
14792 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14794 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14795 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14796 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14798 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14799 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14801 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14802 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14803 @code{References} headers.
14807 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14808 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14809 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14813 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14814 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14815 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14822 @subsection Duplicates
14824 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14825 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14826 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14827 @cindex duplicate mails
14828 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14829 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14830 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14831 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14832 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14833 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14834 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14835 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14836 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14837 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14838 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14839 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14840 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14842 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14843 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14844 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14845 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14847 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14850 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14851 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14855 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14856 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14857 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14858 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14859 (any mail "mail.misc")
14860 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14866 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14867 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14868 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14872 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14873 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14874 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14875 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14876 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14879 @node Not Reading Mail
14880 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14882 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14883 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14884 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14886 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14887 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14888 mail, which should help.
14890 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14891 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14892 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14893 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14894 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14895 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14896 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14897 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14898 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14899 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14900 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14902 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14903 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14907 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14908 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14910 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14911 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14912 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14914 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14915 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14916 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14920 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14921 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14922 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14923 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14924 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14925 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14926 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14930 @node Unix Mail Box
14931 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14933 @cindex unix mail box
14935 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14936 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14937 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14938 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14939 which group it belongs in.
14941 Virtual server settings:
14944 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14945 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14946 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14949 @item nnmbox-active-file
14950 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14951 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14952 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14954 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14955 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14956 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14957 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14962 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14966 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14967 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14968 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14969 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14970 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14972 Virtual server settings:
14975 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14976 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14977 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14979 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14980 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14981 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14982 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14984 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14985 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14986 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14992 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14994 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14996 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14997 format. It should be used with some caution.
14999 @vindex nnml-directory
15000 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15001 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15002 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15003 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15005 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15008 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15009 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15010 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15011 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15012 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15013 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15014 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15015 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15017 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15018 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15019 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15020 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15022 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15024 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15025 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15026 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15027 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15028 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15029 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15030 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15031 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15034 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15035 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15036 them next time it starts.
15038 Virtual server settings:
15041 @item nnml-directory
15042 @vindex nnml-directory
15043 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15044 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15047 @item nnml-active-file
15048 @vindex nnml-active-file
15049 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15050 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15052 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15053 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15054 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15055 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15057 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15058 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15059 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15062 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15063 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15064 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15065 default is @code{nil}.
15067 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15068 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15069 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15071 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15072 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15073 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15075 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15076 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15077 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15078 default is @code{nil}.
15080 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15081 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15082 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15084 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15085 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15086 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15091 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15092 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15093 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15094 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15095 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15096 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15097 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15102 @subsubsection MH Spool
15104 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15106 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15107 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15108 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15109 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15112 Virtual server settings:
15115 @item nnmh-directory
15116 @vindex nnmh-directory
15117 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15118 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15121 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15122 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15123 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15127 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15128 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15129 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15130 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15131 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15132 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15133 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15138 @subsubsection Maildir
15142 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15143 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15144 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15145 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15146 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15149 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15150 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15151 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15152 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15153 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15154 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15155 that appear as group in Gnus.
15157 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15158 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15159 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15161 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15162 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15163 another, and you will keep your marks.
15165 Virtual server settings:
15169 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15170 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15171 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15172 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15173 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15174 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15175 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15176 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15177 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15178 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15180 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15181 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15182 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15183 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15184 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15185 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15186 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15187 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15188 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15189 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15192 @item target-prefix
15193 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15194 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15195 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15198 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15199 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15200 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15201 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15202 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15203 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15204 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15205 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15206 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15208 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15209 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15210 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15211 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15212 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15214 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15215 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15216 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15217 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15218 @code{force} argument.
15220 @item directory-files
15221 This should be a function with the same interface as
15222 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15223 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15224 parameter is optional; the default is
15225 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15226 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15227 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15228 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15229 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15230 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15233 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15234 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15235 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15236 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15237 value is @code{nil}.
15239 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15240 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15241 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15242 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15243 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15246 @subsubsection Group parameters
15248 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15249 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15250 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15251 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15252 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15253 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15256 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15257 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15258 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15259 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15260 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15261 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15262 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15263 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15264 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15268 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15269 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15270 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15271 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15272 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15273 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15274 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15275 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15276 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15277 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15278 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15279 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15282 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15284 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15286 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15287 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15288 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15289 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15290 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15291 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15292 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15293 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15294 article. So that form can refer to
15295 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15296 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir} does
15297 not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15298 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15301 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15302 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15303 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15304 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15305 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15306 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15307 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15308 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15309 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15310 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15311 contain extra copies of the articles.
15313 @item directory-files
15314 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15315 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15316 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15317 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15319 @item distrust-Lines:
15320 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15321 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15322 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15325 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15326 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15327 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15328 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15329 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15330 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15333 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15334 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15335 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15336 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15337 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15338 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15339 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15341 @item nov-cache-size
15342 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15343 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15344 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15345 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15346 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15347 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15348 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15349 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15350 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15351 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15352 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15355 @subsubsection Article identification
15356 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15357 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15358 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15359 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15360 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15361 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15362 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15363 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15364 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15365 request the article in the summary buffer.
15367 @subsubsection NOV data
15368 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15369 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15370 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15371 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15372 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15373 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15374 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15375 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15376 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15377 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15378 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15380 @subsubsection Article marks
15381 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15382 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15383 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15384 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15385 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15386 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15387 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15388 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15390 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15391 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15392 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15393 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15394 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15395 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15396 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15397 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15398 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15402 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15404 @cindex mbox folders
15405 @cindex mail folders
15407 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15408 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15409 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15410 numbers and arrival dates.
15412 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15414 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15415 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15416 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15417 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15418 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15419 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15420 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15421 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15422 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15423 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15425 Virtual server settings:
15428 @item nnfolder-directory
15429 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15430 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15431 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15432 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15434 @item nnfolder-active-file
15435 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15436 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15438 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15439 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15440 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15441 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15443 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15444 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15445 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15446 default is @code{t}
15448 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15449 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15450 @cindex backup files
15451 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15452 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15453 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15454 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15457 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15458 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15460 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15463 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15464 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15465 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15466 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15467 extract some information from it before removing it.
15469 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15470 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15471 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15472 default is @code{nil}.
15474 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15475 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15476 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15478 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15479 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15480 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15481 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15483 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15484 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15485 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15486 default is @code{nil}.
15488 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15489 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15490 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15492 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15493 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15494 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15495 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15500 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15501 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15502 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15503 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15504 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15505 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15508 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15509 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15511 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15512 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15513 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15514 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15515 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15517 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15518 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15519 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15520 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15521 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15522 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15523 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15524 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15527 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15528 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15529 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15530 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15535 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15536 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15537 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15538 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15539 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15540 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15541 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15542 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15543 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15544 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15545 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15546 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15547 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15552 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15553 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15554 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15555 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15556 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15557 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15558 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15559 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15560 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15561 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15562 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15563 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15564 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15565 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15567 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15568 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15573 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15574 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15575 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15576 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15577 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15578 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15579 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15580 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15581 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15582 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15583 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15584 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15585 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15586 provided by the active file and overviews.
15588 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15589 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15590 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15591 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15592 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15595 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15596 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15601 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15602 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15603 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15604 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15605 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15606 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15607 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15611 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15612 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15613 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15614 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15615 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15616 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15617 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15618 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15619 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15621 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15622 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15623 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15624 friendly mail back end all over.
15628 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15629 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15632 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15633 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15634 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15635 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15636 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15637 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15638 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15639 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15642 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15643 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15644 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15645 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15646 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15647 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15648 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15649 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15650 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15651 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15652 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15654 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15655 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15656 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15657 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15658 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15661 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15662 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15663 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15664 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15665 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15666 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15667 removed in the future.
15669 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15670 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15671 on your file system.
15673 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15674 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15679 @node Browsing the Web
15680 @section Browsing the Web
15682 @cindex browsing the web
15686 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15687 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15688 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15689 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15690 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15691 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15692 even know what a news group is.
15694 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15695 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15696 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15697 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15698 you mad in the end.
15700 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15703 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15704 interfaces to these sources.
15708 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15709 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15710 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15711 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15712 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15713 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15716 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15718 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15719 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15720 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15721 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15722 though, you should be ok.
15724 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15725 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15726 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15727 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15728 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15730 @node Archiving Mail
15731 @subsection Archiving Mail
15732 @cindex archiving mail
15733 @cindex backup of mail
15735 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15736 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15737 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15738 marks is fairly simple.
15740 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15741 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15744 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15745 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15746 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15747 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15748 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15749 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15750 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15751 before you restore the data.
15753 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15754 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15755 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15756 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15757 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15758 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15759 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15760 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15761 is unnecessary in that case.
15764 @subsection Web Searches
15769 @cindex Usenet searches
15770 @cindex searching the Usenet
15772 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15773 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15774 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15775 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15776 searches without having to use a browser.
15778 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15779 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15780 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15781 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15782 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15784 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15785 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15786 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15787 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15788 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15789 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15790 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15791 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15792 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15793 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15796 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15797 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15798 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15799 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15800 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15801 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15803 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15804 to use @code{nnweb}.
15806 Virtual server variables:
15811 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15812 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15813 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15816 @vindex nnweb-search
15817 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15819 @item nnweb-max-hits
15820 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15821 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15824 @item nnweb-type-definition
15825 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15826 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15827 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15832 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15836 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15839 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15842 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15846 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15853 @subsection Slashdot
15857 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15858 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15859 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15861 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15862 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15865 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15866 '((nnslashdot "")))
15869 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15870 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15871 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15872 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15873 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15876 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15877 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15879 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15880 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15881 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15882 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15883 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15884 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15885 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15887 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15890 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15891 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15892 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15893 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15894 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15895 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15896 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15898 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15899 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15900 The login name to use when posting.
15902 @item nnslashdot-password
15903 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15904 The password to use when posting.
15906 @item nnslashdot-directory
15907 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15908 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15909 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15911 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15912 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15913 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15914 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15915 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15917 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15918 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15919 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15921 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15922 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15923 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
15924 article. The default is
15925 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15927 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15928 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15929 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15931 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15932 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15933 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15934 updated. The default is 0.
15941 @subsection Ultimate
15943 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15945 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15946 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15947 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15948 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15950 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15951 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15952 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
15953 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15954 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15955 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15956 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15958 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15961 @item nnultimate-directory
15962 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15963 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15964 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15969 @subsection Web Archive
15971 @cindex Web Archive
15973 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15974 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15975 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15976 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15979 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15980 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15981 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15982 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15983 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15984 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15985 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15986 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15988 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15991 @item nnwarchive-directory
15992 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15993 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15994 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15996 @item nnwarchive-login
15997 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15998 The account name on the web server.
16000 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16001 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16002 The password for your account on the web server.
16010 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16011 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16012 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16013 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16014 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16016 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16017 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16019 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16020 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16021 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16024 @kindex G R (Summary)
16025 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will
16026 be prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16027 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16028 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16030 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16031 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET y}, then
16032 subscribe to groups.
16034 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16035 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16036 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16037 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16038 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16039 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16040 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16041 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16044 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16045 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16048 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16049 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16053 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16054 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16055 @acronym{OPML} format.
16058 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16061 @item nnrss-directory
16062 @vindex nnrss-directory
16063 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16064 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16066 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16067 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16068 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16069 data files. The default is the value of
16070 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16071 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16073 @item nnrss-use-local
16074 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16075 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16076 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16077 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16078 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16079 download script using @command{wget}.
16082 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16083 the summary buffer.
16086 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16087 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16089 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16091 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16092 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16095 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16098 (require 'browse-url)
16100 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16102 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16105 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16106 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16109 (browse-url (cdr url))
16110 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16111 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16113 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16114 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16115 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16116 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16119 @node Customizing w3
16120 @subsection Customizing w3
16126 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
16127 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
16128 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
16130 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
16131 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16132 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16135 (eval-after-load "w3"
16137 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16138 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16139 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16140 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16142 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16145 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
16146 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16153 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16155 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16156 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16157 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16158 specify the network address of the server.
16160 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16161 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16162 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16163 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16164 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16165 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16167 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16168 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16169 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16170 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16172 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16173 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16174 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16175 usage explained in this section.
16177 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16178 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16179 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16183 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16184 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16185 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16187 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16188 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16189 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16191 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16192 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16193 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16194 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16195 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16196 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16197 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16198 (nnimap-stream network))
16199 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16201 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16202 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16203 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16206 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16207 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16208 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16209 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16211 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16216 @item nnimap-address
16217 @vindex nnimap-address
16219 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16220 server name if not specified.
16222 @item nnimap-server-port
16223 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16224 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16226 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16229 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16230 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16233 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16234 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16235 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16236 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16237 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16238 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16239 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16241 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16242 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16243 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16246 Example server specification:
16249 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16250 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16251 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16254 @item nnimap-stream
16255 @vindex nnimap-stream
16256 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16257 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16258 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16259 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16260 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16262 Example server specification:
16265 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16266 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16269 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16273 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16274 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16276 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16278 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16279 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16282 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16283 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16285 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16286 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16288 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16290 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16293 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16294 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16295 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16296 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16297 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16298 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16299 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16300 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16301 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16304 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16305 needed. It is available from
16306 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16308 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16309 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16310 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16311 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16312 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16313 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16314 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16317 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16318 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16319 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16320 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16321 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16322 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16323 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16326 @vindex imap-shell-program
16327 @vindex imap-shell-host
16328 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16329 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16331 @item nnimap-authenticator
16332 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16334 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16335 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16337 Example server specification:
16340 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16341 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16344 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16348 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16349 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16351 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16354 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16355 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16357 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16359 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16361 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16364 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16366 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16367 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16368 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16369 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16370 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16371 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16374 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16375 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16376 running in circles yet?
16378 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16379 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16382 The possible options are:
16387 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16390 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16391 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16392 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16393 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16395 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16400 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16401 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16403 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16404 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16405 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16406 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16407 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16410 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16411 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16414 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16415 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16416 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16417 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16420 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16421 as ticked for other users.
16423 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16425 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16427 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16428 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16429 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16430 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16432 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16433 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16434 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16435 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16437 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16438 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16440 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16441 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16442 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16443 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16446 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16449 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16450 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16451 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16452 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16455 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16456 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16458 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16459 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16465 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16466 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16467 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16468 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16469 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16470 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16475 @node Splitting in IMAP
16476 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16477 @cindex splitting imap mail
16479 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16480 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16481 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16482 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16483 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16487 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16488 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16489 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16491 Here are the variables of interest:
16495 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16496 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16498 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16500 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16501 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16502 found will be used.
16504 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16506 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16507 @cindex splitting, inbox
16509 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16511 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16512 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16513 splitting is disabled!
16516 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16517 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16520 No nnmail equivalent.
16522 @item nnimap-split-rule
16523 @cindex splitting, rules
16524 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16526 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16529 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16530 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16531 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16532 Neither did I, we need examples.
16535 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16537 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16538 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16539 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16542 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16543 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16544 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16546 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16547 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16551 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16554 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16555 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16557 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16558 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16559 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16560 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16562 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16563 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16564 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16565 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16566 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16567 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16569 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16570 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16571 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16573 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16574 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16575 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16577 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16579 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16580 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16581 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16584 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16585 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16586 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16587 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16588 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16589 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16592 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16593 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16594 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16595 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16596 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16597 group/function elements.
16599 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16601 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16603 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16605 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16606 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16608 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16609 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16610 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16613 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16614 @cindex splitting, fancy
16615 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16616 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16618 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16619 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16620 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16622 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16623 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16624 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16625 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16630 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16631 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16634 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16636 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16637 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16638 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16640 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16641 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16642 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16643 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16647 @node Expiring in IMAP
16648 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16649 @cindex expiring imap mail
16651 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16652 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16653 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16654 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16655 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16656 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16659 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16660 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16661 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16662 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16663 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16664 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16665 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16666 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16670 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16671 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16673 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16674 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16676 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16678 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16679 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16680 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16681 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16685 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16686 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16687 @cindex editing imap acls
16688 @cindex Access Control Lists
16689 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16690 @kindex G l (Group)
16691 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16693 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16694 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16695 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16698 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16699 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16700 editing window with detailed instructions.
16702 Some possible uses:
16706 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16707 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16708 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16710 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16711 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16712 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16716 @node Expunging mailboxes
16717 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16721 @cindex manual expunging
16722 @kindex G x (Group)
16723 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16725 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16726 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16727 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16729 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16732 @node A note on namespaces
16733 @subsection A note on namespaces
16734 @cindex IMAP namespace
16737 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16738 by the following text in the RFC:
16741 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16743 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16744 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16745 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16746 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16748 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16749 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16750 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16751 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16752 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16753 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16756 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16757 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16758 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16760 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16761 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16762 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16763 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16764 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16765 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16766 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16767 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16770 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16771 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16772 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16774 @node Debugging IMAP
16775 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16776 @cindex IMAP debugging
16777 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16779 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16780 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16781 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behaviour, chances
16782 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16784 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16785 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16786 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16787 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16788 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16789 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16790 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16794 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16795 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16802 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16803 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16804 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16805 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16808 @node Other Sources
16809 @section Other Sources
16811 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16812 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16816 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16817 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16818 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16819 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16820 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16824 @node Directory Groups
16825 @subsection Directory Groups
16827 @cindex directory groups
16829 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16830 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16833 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16834 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16835 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16836 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16838 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16839 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16840 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16841 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16842 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16844 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16846 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16847 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16848 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16849 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16852 @node Anything Groups
16853 @subsection Anything Groups
16856 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16857 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16858 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16861 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16862 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16863 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16864 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16865 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16866 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16867 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16868 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16869 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16870 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16873 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16874 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16875 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16876 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16878 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16879 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16880 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16881 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16883 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16884 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16885 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16886 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16887 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16888 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16889 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16890 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16895 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16896 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16897 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16898 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16900 @item nneething-exclude-files
16901 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16902 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16903 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16905 @item nneething-include-files
16906 @vindex nneething-include-files
16907 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16908 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16910 @item nneething-map-file
16911 @vindex nneething-map-file
16912 Name of the map files.
16916 @node Document Groups
16917 @subsection Document Groups
16919 @cindex documentation group
16922 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16923 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16930 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16935 The standard Unix mbox file.
16937 @cindex MMDF mail box
16939 The MMDF mail box format.
16942 Several news articles appended into a file.
16945 @cindex rnews batch files
16946 The rnews batch transport format.
16947 @cindex forwarded messages
16950 Forwarded articles.
16953 Netscape mail boxes.
16956 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16958 @item standard-digest
16959 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16962 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16964 @item lanl-gov-announce
16965 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16967 @item rfc822-forward
16968 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16971 The Outlook mail box.
16974 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16977 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16980 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16983 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16989 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16992 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16998 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16999 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17000 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17003 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17004 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17005 group. And that's it.
17007 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17008 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17009 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17010 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17011 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17012 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17013 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17014 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17015 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17016 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17018 Virtual server variables:
17021 @item nndoc-article-type
17022 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17023 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17024 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17025 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17026 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17027 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17029 @item nndoc-post-type
17030 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17031 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17032 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17037 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17041 @node Document Server Internals
17042 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17044 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17045 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17046 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17047 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17049 First, here's an example document type definition:
17053 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17054 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17057 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17058 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17059 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17060 types can be defined with very few settings:
17063 @item first-article
17064 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17065 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17068 @item article-begin
17069 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17070 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
17072 @item head-begin-function
17073 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17076 @item nndoc-head-begin
17077 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17080 @item nndoc-head-end
17081 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17082 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17084 @item body-begin-function
17085 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17089 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17092 @item body-end-function
17093 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17097 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
17100 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17101 regexp will be totally ignored.
17105 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17106 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17107 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17108 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17109 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17112 @item prepare-body-function
17113 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17114 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17115 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17117 @item article-transform-function
17118 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17119 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17120 body of the article.
17122 @item generate-head-function
17123 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17124 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17125 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17126 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17130 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17135 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17136 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17137 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17138 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17139 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17140 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17141 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17142 (subtype digest guess))
17145 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17146 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17147 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17148 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17149 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17151 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17152 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17153 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17154 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17155 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17156 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17157 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17158 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17159 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17160 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17161 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17162 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17170 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17171 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17172 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17174 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17175 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17176 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17179 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17180 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17181 that interested in doing things properly.
17183 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17184 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17187 First some terminology:
17192 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17193 get news and/or mail from.
17196 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17197 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17200 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17204 @item message packets
17205 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17206 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17207 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17209 @item response packets
17210 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17211 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17212 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17222 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17223 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17224 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17225 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17228 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17231 You put the packet in your home directory.
17234 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17235 the native or secondary server.
17238 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17239 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17242 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17246 You transfer this packet to the server.
17249 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17252 You then repeat until you die.
17256 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17257 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17260 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17261 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17262 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17266 @node SOUP Commands
17267 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17269 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17273 @kindex G s b (Group)
17274 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17275 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17276 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17277 process/prefix convention.
17280 @kindex G s w (Group)
17281 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17282 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17285 @kindex G s s (Group)
17286 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17287 Send all replies from the replies packet
17288 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17291 @kindex G s p (Group)
17292 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17293 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17296 @kindex G s r (Group)
17297 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17298 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17301 @kindex O s (Summary)
17302 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17303 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17304 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17305 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17310 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17315 @item gnus-soup-directory
17316 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17317 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17318 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17320 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17321 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17322 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17323 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17325 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17326 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17327 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17328 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17330 @item gnus-soup-packer
17331 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17332 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17333 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17335 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17336 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17337 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17338 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17340 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17341 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17342 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17344 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17345 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17346 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17347 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17353 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17356 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17357 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17358 you can read them at leisure.
17360 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17364 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17365 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17366 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17367 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17369 @item nnsoup-directory
17370 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17371 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17372 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17374 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17375 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17376 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17377 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17379 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17380 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17381 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17382 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17383 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17385 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17386 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17387 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17388 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17390 @item nnsoup-active-file
17391 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17392 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17393 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17394 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17395 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17397 @item nnsoup-packer
17398 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17399 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17400 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17402 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17403 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17404 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17405 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17407 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17408 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17409 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17412 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17413 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17414 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17417 @item nnsoup-always-save
17418 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17419 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17425 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17427 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17428 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17429 more for that to happen.
17431 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17432 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17433 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17436 In specific, this is what it does:
17439 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17440 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17443 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17444 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17445 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17448 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17449 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17450 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17453 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17454 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17455 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17457 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17463 @item nngateway-address
17464 @vindex nngateway-address
17465 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17467 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17468 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17469 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17470 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17471 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17472 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17473 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17476 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17477 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17478 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17481 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17484 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17487 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17490 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17492 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17495 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17496 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17497 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17499 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17501 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17502 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17503 @code{nngateway-address}.
17511 (setq gnus-post-method
17513 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17514 (nngateway-header-transformation
17515 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17518 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17521 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17526 @node Combined Groups
17527 @section Combined Groups
17529 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17533 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17534 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17538 @node Virtual Groups
17539 @subsection Virtual Groups
17541 @cindex virtual groups
17542 @cindex merging groups
17544 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17547 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17548 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17549 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17551 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17552 regexp to match component groups.
17554 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17555 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17556 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17557 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17558 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17559 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17560 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17561 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17563 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17564 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17567 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17570 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17571 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17573 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17574 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17575 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17576 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17579 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17582 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17583 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17584 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17586 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17587 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17588 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17589 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17590 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17592 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17593 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17594 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17596 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17597 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17598 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17599 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17600 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17601 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17602 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17603 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17604 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17605 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17606 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17608 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17609 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17610 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17611 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17612 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17613 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17614 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17616 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17617 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17619 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17620 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17624 @node Kibozed Groups
17625 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17629 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17630 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17631 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17632 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17634 @kindex G k (Group)
17635 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17638 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17639 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17640 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17641 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17643 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17644 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17645 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17647 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17648 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17649 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17650 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17651 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17652 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17653 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17654 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17656 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17657 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17658 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17659 Stranger things have happened.
17661 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17662 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17664 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17665 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17666 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17667 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17668 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17669 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17670 component articles.
17672 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17673 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17676 @node Gnus Unplugged
17677 @section Gnus Unplugged
17682 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17684 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17685 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17686 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17687 read news. Believe it or not.
17689 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17690 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17691 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17692 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17693 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17695 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17696 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17697 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17698 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17699 reading news on a machine.
17701 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17702 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
17703 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
17705 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17708 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17709 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17710 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17711 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17712 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17713 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17714 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17715 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17716 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17717 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17718 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17719 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17720 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17725 @subsection Agent Basics
17727 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17729 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17730 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17731 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17732 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17734 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17735 connected to the net continuously.
17737 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17738 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17740 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17741 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17742 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17743 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17744 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17746 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17747 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17748 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17749 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17750 they're kinda like plugged always).
17752 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17753 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17754 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17757 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17758 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17759 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17760 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17761 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17763 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17768 @findex gnus-unplugged
17769 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17770 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17771 already fetched while in this mode.
17774 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17775 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17776 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17777 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17778 Source Specifiers}).
17781 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17782 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17783 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17784 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17785 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17788 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17789 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17790 then you read the news offline.
17793 And then you go to step 2.
17796 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17802 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17803 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17804 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17805 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17806 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17807 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17808 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17809 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17812 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17813 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17814 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17815 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17817 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17818 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17819 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17820 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17821 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17822 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17826 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17830 @node Agent Categories
17831 @subsection Agent Categories
17833 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17834 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17835 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17836 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17837 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17838 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17839 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17841 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17842 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17843 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17844 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17845 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17847 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17848 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17849 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17850 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17851 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17854 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17855 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17856 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17857 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17858 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17859 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17863 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17864 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17865 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17869 @node Category Syntax
17870 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17872 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17873 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17874 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17877 @cindex Agent Parameters
17879 @item agent-cat-name
17880 The name of the category.
17883 The list of groups that are in this category.
17885 @item agent-predicate
17886 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17887 are eligible for downloading; and
17889 @item agent-score-file
17890 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17891 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17892 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17894 @item agent-enable-expiration
17895 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17896 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17897 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17898 only groups that should not be expired.
17900 @item agent-days-until-old
17901 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17902 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17904 @item agent-low-score
17905 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17907 @item agent-high-score
17908 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17910 @item agent-length-when-short
17911 an integer that overrides the value of
17912 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17914 @item agent-length-when-long
17915 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17917 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
17918 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
17919 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
17920 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
17921 undownloaded faces.
17924 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17927 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17928 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17929 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17932 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17933 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17934 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17935 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17937 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17938 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17939 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17941 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17942 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17943 operators sprinkled in between.
17945 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17947 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17948 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17954 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17955 short (for some value of ``short'').
17957 Here's a more complex predicate:
17966 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17967 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17970 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17971 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17972 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17974 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17975 you want to do, you can write your own.
17977 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17978 bound to the value determined by calling
17979 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17980 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17981 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17982 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17983 predicate to individual groups.
17987 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17988 lines; default 100.
17991 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17992 lines; default 200.
17995 True iff the article has a download score less than
17996 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17999 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18000 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18003 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18004 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18005 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18014 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18015 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18016 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18019 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18020 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18021 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18022 something along the lines of the following:
18025 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18026 "Say whether an article is old."
18027 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18028 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18031 with the predicate then defined as:
18034 (not my-article-old-p)
18037 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18038 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18042 (require 'gnus-agent)
18043 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18044 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18045 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18048 and simply specify your predicate as:
18054 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18055 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18056 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18057 just don't give a damn.
18059 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18060 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18061 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18062 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18063 parameters like so:
18066 (agent-predicate . short)
18069 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18070 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18071 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18073 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18076 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18079 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18080 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18081 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18084 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18085 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18086 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18087 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18088 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18089 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18091 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18092 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18093 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18094 if it's to be specific to that group.
18096 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18103 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18104 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18110 Category specification
18114 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18120 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18123 (agent-score ("from"
18124 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18129 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18135 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18136 keywords stated above.
18142 Category specification
18145 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18151 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18155 Group Parameter specification
18158 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18161 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18166 Use @code{normal} score files
18168 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18169 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18170 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18171 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18173 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18174 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18175 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18176 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18180 Category Specification
18187 Group Parameter specification
18190 (agent-score . file)
18195 @node Category Buffer
18196 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18198 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18199 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18200 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18202 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18206 @kindex q (Category)
18207 @findex gnus-category-exit
18208 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18211 @kindex e (Category)
18212 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18213 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18214 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18217 @kindex k (Category)
18218 @findex gnus-category-kill
18219 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18222 @kindex c (Category)
18223 @findex gnus-category-copy
18224 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18227 @kindex a (Category)
18228 @findex gnus-category-add
18229 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18232 @kindex p (Category)
18233 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18234 Edit the predicate of the current category
18235 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18238 @kindex g (Category)
18239 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18240 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18241 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18244 @kindex s (Category)
18245 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18246 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18247 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18250 @kindex l (Category)
18251 @findex gnus-category-list
18252 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18256 @node Category Variables
18257 @subsubsection Category Variables
18260 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18261 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18262 Hook run in category buffers.
18264 @item gnus-category-line-format
18265 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18266 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18267 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18271 The name of the category.
18274 The number of groups in the category.
18277 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18278 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18279 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18281 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18282 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18283 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18285 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18286 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18287 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18289 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18290 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18291 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18294 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18295 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18296 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18299 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18300 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18301 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18302 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18303 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18304 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18305 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18306 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18310 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18311 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18312 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18313 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18314 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18315 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18316 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18321 @node Agent Commands
18322 @subsection Agent Commands
18323 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18324 @kindex J j (Agent)
18326 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18327 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18328 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18332 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18333 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18334 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18340 @node Group Agent Commands
18341 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18345 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18346 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18347 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18348 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18351 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18352 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18353 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18356 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18357 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18358 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18359 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18362 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18363 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18364 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18365 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18368 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18369 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18370 Add the current group to an Agent category
18371 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18372 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18375 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18376 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18377 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18378 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18379 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18382 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18383 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18384 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18390 @node Summary Agent Commands
18391 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18395 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18396 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18397 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18400 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18401 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18402 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18403 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18407 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18408 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18409 Toggle whether to download the article
18410 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18414 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18415 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18416 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18419 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18420 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18421 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18422 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18425 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18426 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18427 Download all processable articles in this group.
18428 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18431 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18432 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18433 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18434 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18439 @node Server Agent Commands
18440 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18444 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18445 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18446 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18447 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18450 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18451 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18452 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18453 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18458 @node Agent Visuals
18459 @subsection Agent Visuals
18461 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18462 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18463 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18464 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18465 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18466 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18467 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18468 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18469 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18470 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18472 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18473 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18474 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18475 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18476 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
18477 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18478 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18479 articles will be available when unplugged.
18481 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18482 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18483 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18484 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18485 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18486 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18487 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18488 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18490 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18491 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18492 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18493 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18494 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18495 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18496 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18497 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18498 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18500 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18501 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18502 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18503 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18504 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18505 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18506 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18507 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18508 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18509 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18511 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18512 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18513 group parameter to t. This parameter, like all other agent
18514 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent
18515 Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an
18516 individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18518 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18519 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18520 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18521 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18522 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18523 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18524 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18525 expiring'' articles.
18527 @node Agent as Cache
18528 @subsection Agent as Cache
18530 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18531 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18532 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18533 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18534 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18535 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18536 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18537 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18538 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18540 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18541 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18542 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18543 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18544 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18547 @subsection Agent Expiry
18549 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18550 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18551 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18552 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18553 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18554 @cindex agent expiry
18555 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18558 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18559 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18560 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18561 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18562 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18563 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18564 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18565 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18567 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18568 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18569 synchronized with the group.
18571 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18572 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18574 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18575 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18576 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18577 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18578 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18579 be kept indefinitely.
18581 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18582 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18583 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18584 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18586 @node Agent Regeneration
18587 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18589 @cindex agent regeneration
18590 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18591 @cindex regeneration
18593 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18594 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18595 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18596 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18597 internal inconsistencies.
18599 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18600 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18601 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18602 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18603 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18604 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18606 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18607 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18608 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18609 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18610 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18611 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18613 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18614 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18615 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18616 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18617 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18618 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18621 @node Agent and IMAP
18622 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18624 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18625 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18626 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18627 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18629 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18630 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18631 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18632 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18634 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18635 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18636 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18637 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18639 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18640 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18641 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18642 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18643 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18644 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18646 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18647 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18648 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18649 in the group buffer.
18651 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18652 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18657 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18660 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18664 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18665 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18666 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18667 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18668 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18669 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18670 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18671 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18674 @node Outgoing Messages
18675 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18677 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
18678 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
18679 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18681 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
18682 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
18683 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
18685 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
18686 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
18687 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
18688 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
18691 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
18692 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
18693 ask you to confirm your action (see
18694 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
18696 @node Agent Variables
18697 @subsection Agent Variables
18702 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
18703 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
18704 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
18705 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
18707 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
18708 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
18711 @item gnus-agent-directory
18712 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18713 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18714 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18716 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18717 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18718 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18719 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18720 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18723 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18724 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18725 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18727 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18728 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18729 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18731 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18732 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18733 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18735 @item gnus-agent-cache
18736 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18737 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18738 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18739 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18741 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18742 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18743 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18744 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18745 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18746 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18747 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18750 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18751 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18752 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18753 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18754 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18755 read. The default is t.
18757 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18758 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18759 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18760 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
18761 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
18762 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
18763 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
18764 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
18765 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
18766 over and over again.
18768 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18769 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18770 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18771 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18772 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18773 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18774 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18775 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18776 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18777 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18778 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18779 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18782 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18783 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18784 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18785 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18786 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18787 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18788 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18789 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18790 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18792 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18793 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18794 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18795 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18796 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18797 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18799 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18800 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18801 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18802 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18803 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18805 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
18806 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
18807 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
18808 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
18809 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
18810 mail. The default is @code{t}.
18812 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18813 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
18814 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
18815 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
18816 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
18818 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18819 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
18820 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
18821 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
18822 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
18823 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
18824 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
18825 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
18826 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
18827 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
18828 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
18833 @node Example Setup
18834 @subsection Example Setup
18836 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18837 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18838 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18841 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18842 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18843 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18845 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18846 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18847 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18849 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18850 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18852 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18853 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18854 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18857 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18858 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18861 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18862 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18863 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18864 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18865 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18868 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18869 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18870 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18871 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18872 back all the killed groups.)
18874 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18875 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18876 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18879 @node Batching Agents
18880 @subsection Batching Agents
18881 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18883 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18884 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18885 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18887 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18888 following incantation:
18892 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18896 @node Agent Caveats
18897 @subsection Agent Caveats
18899 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18900 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18904 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18906 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18907 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18908 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18910 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18911 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18913 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18917 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18918 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18919 locally stored articles.
18926 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18927 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18928 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18931 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18932 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18933 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18934 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18935 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18937 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18938 before generating the summary buffer.
18940 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18941 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18942 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18944 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18945 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18946 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18947 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18950 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18951 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18952 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18953 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18954 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18955 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18956 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18957 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18958 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18959 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18960 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18961 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18962 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18963 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18964 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18965 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18969 @node Summary Score Commands
18970 @section Summary Score Commands
18971 @cindex score commands
18973 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18974 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18975 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18976 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18977 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18979 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18980 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18981 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18982 score file the current one.
18984 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18989 @kindex V s (Summary)
18990 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18991 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18994 @kindex V S (Summary)
18995 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18996 Display the score of the current article
18997 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19000 @kindex V t (Summary)
19001 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19002 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19003 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19004 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19005 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19006 score file and edit it.
19009 @kindex V w (Summary)
19010 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19011 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19014 @kindex V R (Summary)
19015 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19016 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19017 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19018 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19019 effect you're having.
19022 @kindex V c (Summary)
19023 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19024 Make a different score file the current
19025 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19028 @kindex V e (Summary)
19029 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19030 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19031 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19035 @kindex V f (Summary)
19036 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19037 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19038 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19041 @kindex V F (Summary)
19042 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19043 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19044 after editing score files.
19047 @kindex V C (Summary)
19048 @findex gnus-score-customize
19049 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19050 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19054 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19059 @kindex V m (Summary)
19060 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19061 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19062 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19065 @kindex V x (Summary)
19066 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19067 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19068 expunge all articles below this score
19069 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19072 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19073 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19076 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19077 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19081 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19082 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19084 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19085 keys are available:
19089 Score on the author name.
19092 Score on the subject line.
19095 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19098 Score on the @code{References} line.
19104 Score on the number of lines.
19107 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19110 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19111 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19114 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19115 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19116 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19125 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19131 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19132 what headers you are scoring on.
19144 Substring matching.
19147 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19176 Greater than number.
19181 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19182 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19183 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19188 Temporary score entry.
19191 Permanent score entry.
19194 Immediately scoring.
19198 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19199 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19200 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19204 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19205 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19206 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19207 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19209 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19210 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19211 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19212 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19213 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19215 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19216 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19217 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19218 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19219 current score file.
19221 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19222 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19223 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19226 @node Group Score Commands
19227 @section Group Score Commands
19228 @cindex group score commands
19230 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19235 @kindex W e (Group)
19236 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19237 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19238 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19241 @kindex W f (Group)
19242 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19243 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19244 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19245 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19249 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19251 @findex gnus-batch-score
19252 @cindex batch scoring
19254 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19258 @node Score Variables
19259 @section Score Variables
19260 @cindex score variables
19264 @item gnus-use-scoring
19265 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19266 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19267 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19269 @item gnus-kill-killed
19270 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19271 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19272 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19273 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19274 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19275 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19276 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19278 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19279 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19280 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19281 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19282 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19284 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19285 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19286 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19287 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19289 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19290 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19291 @cindex score cache
19292 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19293 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19294 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19295 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19296 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19297 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19298 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19301 @item gnus-save-score
19302 @vindex gnus-save-score
19303 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19304 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19305 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19307 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19308 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19309 across group visits.
19311 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19312 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19313 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19314 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19315 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19316 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19317 manually entered data.
19319 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19320 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19321 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19323 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19324 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19325 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19326 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19327 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19328 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19330 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19331 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19332 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19333 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19335 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19336 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19337 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19338 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19340 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19341 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19342 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19343 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19345 Predefined functions available are:
19348 @item gnus-score-find-single
19349 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19350 Only apply the group's own score file.
19352 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19353 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19354 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19355 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19356 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19357 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19358 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19359 then a regexp match is done.
19361 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19362 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19364 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19365 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19366 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19367 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19369 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19370 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19371 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19372 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19373 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19377 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19378 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19379 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19380 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19381 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19382 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19383 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19386 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19387 overall score file, you could use the value
19389 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19390 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19393 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19394 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19395 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19396 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19397 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19399 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19400 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19401 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19402 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19403 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19404 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19405 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19406 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19408 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19409 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19410 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19412 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19413 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19414 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19415 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19416 threading---according to the current value of
19417 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19418 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19419 simplified in this manner.
19424 @node Score File Format
19425 @section Score File Format
19426 @cindex score file format
19428 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19429 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19430 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19432 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19436 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19438 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19440 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19442 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19447 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19451 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19452 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19453 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19454 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19458 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19459 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19461 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19462 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19463 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19465 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19470 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19471 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19472 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19473 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19474 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19475 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19476 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19477 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19478 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19479 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19480 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19481 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19482 to articles that matches these score entries.
19484 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19485 score entry has one to four elements.
19489 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19490 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19494 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19495 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19496 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19497 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19498 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19499 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19502 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19503 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19504 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19505 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19506 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19509 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19510 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19511 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19512 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19515 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19516 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19517 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19518 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19519 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19520 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19521 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19522 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19523 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19524 instead, if you feel like.
19527 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19528 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19529 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19530 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19531 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19532 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19536 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19537 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19541 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19542 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19544 These predicates are true if
19547 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19550 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19551 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19558 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19559 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19560 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19561 it's not. I think.)
19563 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19564 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19565 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19566 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19569 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19570 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19571 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19572 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19573 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19574 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19575 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19579 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19580 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19581 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19582 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19583 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19584 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19585 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19586 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19589 @item Head, Body, All
19590 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19594 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19595 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19596 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19597 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19598 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19599 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19600 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19604 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19605 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19606 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19607 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19608 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19609 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19610 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19611 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19612 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19613 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19614 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19618 @cindex score file atoms
19620 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19621 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19624 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19625 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19627 @item mark-and-expunge
19628 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19629 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19632 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19633 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19634 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19635 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19636 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19639 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19640 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19643 @item exclude-files
19644 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19645 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19649 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19650 ignored when handling global score files.
19653 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19654 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19655 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19656 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19659 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19660 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19661 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19662 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19664 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19668 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19671 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19672 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19673 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19674 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19675 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19677 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19678 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19679 scoring rules exist.
19682 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19683 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19684 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19685 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19686 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19687 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19688 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19689 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19690 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19691 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19692 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19696 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19697 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19698 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19699 file for a number of groups.
19702 @cindex local variables
19703 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19704 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19705 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19706 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19707 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19712 @node Score File Editing
19713 @section Score File Editing
19715 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19716 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19717 with a mode for that.
19719 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19720 additional commands:
19725 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19726 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19727 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19728 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19731 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19732 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19733 Insert the current date in numerical format
19734 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19735 you were wondering.
19738 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19739 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19740 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19741 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19742 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19747 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19749 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19750 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19752 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
19753 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
19756 @node Adaptive Scoring
19757 @section Adaptive Scoring
19758 @cindex adaptive scoring
19760 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19761 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19762 stupidity, to be precise.
19764 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19765 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19766 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19767 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19768 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19769 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19770 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19771 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19772 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19774 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19775 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19776 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19777 might look something like this:
19780 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19781 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19782 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19783 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19784 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19785 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19786 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19787 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19788 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19789 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19790 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19791 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19794 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19795 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19796 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19797 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19798 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19799 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19802 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19803 will be applied to each article.
19805 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19806 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19807 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19808 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19810 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19811 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19812 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19813 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19815 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19816 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19817 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19818 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19820 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19821 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19822 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19823 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19824 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19825 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19827 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19828 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19829 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19831 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19832 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19833 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19835 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19836 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19837 let you use different rules in different groups.
19839 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19840 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19841 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19844 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
19845 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
19846 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
19847 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
19849 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19850 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19851 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19852 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19853 the length of the match is less than
19854 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19855 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19858 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19859 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19860 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19861 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19862 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19865 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19866 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19867 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19868 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19869 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19872 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19873 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19874 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19875 score with 30 points.
19877 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19878 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19879 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19880 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19881 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19883 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19884 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19885 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19886 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19887 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19889 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19890 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19891 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19892 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19894 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19895 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19896 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19897 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19899 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19900 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19901 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19902 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19903 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19905 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19906 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19907 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19909 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19910 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19911 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19912 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19915 @node Home Score File
19916 @section Home Score File
19918 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19919 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19920 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19921 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19923 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19924 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19925 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19927 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19928 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19933 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19937 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19938 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19942 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19946 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19947 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19950 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19951 be used as the home score file.
19954 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19957 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19962 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19965 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19966 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19969 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19970 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19972 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19974 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19975 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19978 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19979 Other functions include
19982 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19983 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19984 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19985 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19989 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19990 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19991 their own home score files:
19994 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19995 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19996 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19997 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19998 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20001 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20002 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20003 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20004 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20005 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20007 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20008 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20009 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20010 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20011 precedence over this variable.
20014 @node Followups To Yourself
20015 @section Followups To Yourself
20017 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20018 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20019 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20020 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20021 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20022 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20026 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20027 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20028 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20031 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20032 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20033 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20037 @vindex message-sent-hook
20038 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20039 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20041 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20045 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20046 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20050 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20051 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20054 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20055 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20060 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20064 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20065 is system-dependent.
20068 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20069 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20070 @cindex scoring on other headers
20072 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20073 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20074 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20075 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20076 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20078 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20079 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20080 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20081 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20082 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20084 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20087 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20088 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20091 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20092 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20093 time if you have much mail.
20095 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20096 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20102 @section Scoring Tips
20103 @cindex scoring tips
20109 @cindex scoring crossposts
20110 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20111 the @code{Xref} header.
20113 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20116 @item Multiple crossposts
20117 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20118 more than, say, 3 groups:
20121 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20125 @item Matching on the body
20126 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20127 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20128 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20129 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20130 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20131 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20132 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20135 @item Marking as read
20136 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20137 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20138 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20142 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20144 @item Negated character classes
20145 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20146 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20147 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20151 @node Reverse Scoring
20152 @section Reverse Scoring
20153 @cindex reverse scoring
20155 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20156 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20157 like this in your score file:
20161 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20166 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20167 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20170 @node Global Score Files
20171 @section Global Score Files
20172 @cindex global score files
20174 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20175 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20176 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20178 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20179 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20180 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20182 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20183 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20184 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20185 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20186 files are applicable to which group.
20188 To use the score file
20189 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20190 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20194 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20195 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20196 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20199 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20201 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20202 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20203 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20204 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20206 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20207 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20209 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20210 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20211 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20212 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20213 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20214 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20216 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20222 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20224 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20226 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20228 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20229 lowered out of existence.
20231 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20232 articles completely.
20235 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20236 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20237 old articles for a long time.
20240 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20241 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20242 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20243 holding our breath yet?
20247 @section Kill Files
20250 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20251 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20252 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20254 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20255 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20256 files into score files.
20258 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20259 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20260 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20261 that isn't a very good idea.
20263 Normal kill files look like this:
20266 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20267 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20271 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20272 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20274 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20275 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20278 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20283 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20284 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20285 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20288 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20289 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20290 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20293 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20298 @kindex M-k (Group)
20299 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20300 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20303 @kindex M-K (Group)
20304 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20305 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20308 Kill file variables:
20311 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20312 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20313 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20314 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20315 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20316 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20317 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20319 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20320 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20321 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20322 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20325 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20326 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20327 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20328 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20329 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20330 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20331 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20332 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20333 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20335 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20336 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20337 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20342 @node Converting Kill Files
20343 @section Converting Kill Files
20345 @cindex converting kill files
20347 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20348 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20349 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20352 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20353 You can fetch it from
20354 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20356 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20357 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20358 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20362 @node Advanced Scoring
20363 @section Advanced Scoring
20365 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20366 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20367 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20368 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20369 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20371 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20375 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20376 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20377 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20381 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20382 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20384 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20385 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20386 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20387 non-@code{nil} value.
20389 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20390 operator, and various match operators.
20397 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20398 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20399 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20404 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20405 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20406 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20411 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20412 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20416 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20417 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20418 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20419 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20420 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20421 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20422 the ancestry you want to go.
20424 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20425 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20426 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20427 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20428 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20431 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20432 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20434 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20435 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20438 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20439 when he's talking about Gnus:
20444 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20445 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20452 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20456 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20463 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20464 really don't want to read what he's written:
20468 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20469 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20473 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20474 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20475 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20482 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20483 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20484 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20485 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20489 The possibilities are endless.
20492 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20493 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20495 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20496 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20497 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20498 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20499 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20500 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20501 @samp{subject}) first.
20503 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20504 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20515 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20516 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20522 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20529 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20530 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20535 @section Score Decays
20536 @cindex score decays
20539 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20540 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20541 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20542 use them in any sensible way.
20544 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20545 @findex gnus-decay-score
20546 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20547 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20548 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20549 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20550 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20551 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
20552 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
20553 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
20554 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
20555 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
20559 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20560 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20561 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20563 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20565 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20567 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20568 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20569 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
20570 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20571 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20573 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20577 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20578 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20579 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20580 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20584 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20587 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20590 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20594 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20595 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20596 the new score, which should be an integer.
20598 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20599 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20604 @include message.texi
20605 @chapter Emacs MIME
20606 @include emacs-mime.texi
20608 @include sieve.texi
20610 @c @include pgg.texi
20612 @c @include sasl.texi
20620 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20621 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20622 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20623 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20624 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20625 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20626 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20627 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20628 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20629 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20630 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20631 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20632 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20633 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20634 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20635 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20636 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20637 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20638 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
20639 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20643 @node Process/Prefix
20644 @section Process/Prefix
20645 @cindex process/prefix convention
20647 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20648 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20650 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20651 command to be performed on.
20655 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20656 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20657 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20658 with the current one.
20660 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20661 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20662 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20664 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20665 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20668 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20669 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20671 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20674 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20675 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20676 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20677 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20679 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20680 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20681 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20682 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20683 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20684 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20685 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20686 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20688 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20689 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20690 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20691 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20692 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20696 @section Interactive
20697 @cindex interaction
20701 @item gnus-novice-user
20702 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20703 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20704 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20705 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20706 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20709 @item gnus-expert-user
20710 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20711 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20712 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20713 matter how strange.
20715 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20716 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20717 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20718 is @code{t} by default.
20720 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20721 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20722 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20727 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20728 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20729 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20731 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20732 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20733 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20734 rule of 900 to the current article.
20736 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20737 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20738 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20739 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20740 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20741 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20742 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20744 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20745 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20746 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20747 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20748 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20749 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20750 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20751 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20752 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20754 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20755 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20756 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20758 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20762 @node Formatting Variables
20763 @section Formatting Variables
20764 @cindex formatting variables
20766 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20767 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20768 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20769 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20770 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20773 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20774 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20775 lots of percentages everywhere.
20778 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20779 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20780 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20781 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20782 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20783 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20784 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20785 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20788 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20789 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20790 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20791 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20792 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20793 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20794 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20795 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20797 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20798 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20800 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20801 @findex gnus-update-format
20802 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20803 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20804 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20805 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20809 @node Formatting Basics
20810 @subsection Formatting Basics
20812 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20813 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20814 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20816 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20817 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20818 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20819 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20820 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20823 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20824 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20825 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20826 less than 4 characters wide.
20828 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20829 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20832 @node Mode Line Formatting
20833 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20835 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20836 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20837 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20838 with the following two differences:
20843 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20846 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20847 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20848 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20849 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20850 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20851 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20852 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20857 @node Advanced Formatting
20858 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20860 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20861 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20862 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20863 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20865 These are the valid modifiers:
20870 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20874 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20879 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20882 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20887 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20890 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20893 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20896 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20902 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20907 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20908 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20909 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20910 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20911 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20912 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20913 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20915 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20916 last operation, padding.
20918 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20919 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
20920 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
20921 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
20922 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
20923 the look of your lines.
20924 @xref{Compilation}.
20927 @node User-Defined Specs
20928 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20930 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20931 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20932 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20933 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20934 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20935 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20936 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20937 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20938 should protect against that.
20940 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20941 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20943 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20944 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20945 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20946 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20950 @node Formatting Fonts
20951 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20953 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20954 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20955 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20956 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20959 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20960 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20961 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20962 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20963 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20964 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20966 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20967 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20968 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20969 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20970 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20971 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20972 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20973 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20974 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20975 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20976 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20979 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20982 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20983 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20984 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20986 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20987 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20988 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20989 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20990 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20991 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20992 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20994 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20995 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20996 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20999 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21000 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21002 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21003 mode-line variables.
21005 @node Positioning Point
21006 @subsection Positioning Point
21008 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21009 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21010 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
21012 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21014 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21015 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21016 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21018 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21019 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21020 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21025 @subsection Tabulation
21027 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21028 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21029 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21030 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21032 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21033 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21035 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21036 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21037 This is the soft tabulator.
21039 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21040 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21041 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21044 @node Wide Characters
21045 @subsection Wide Characters
21047 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21048 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21049 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21051 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21052 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21053 these countries, that's not true.
21055 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21056 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21057 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21058 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21062 @node Window Layout
21063 @section Window Layout
21064 @cindex window layout
21066 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21068 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21069 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21070 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21071 @code{t} by default.
21073 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21074 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21076 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21077 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21078 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21081 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21082 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21083 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21087 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21088 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21089 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21090 possible names is listed below.
21092 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21093 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21096 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21100 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21101 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21102 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21103 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21104 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21105 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21106 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21107 size spec per split.
21109 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21110 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21111 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21112 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21113 present) gets focus.
21115 Here's a more complicated example:
21118 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21119 (summary 0.25 point)
21120 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21124 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21125 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21126 occupy, not a percentage.
21128 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21129 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21130 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21131 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21132 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21135 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21138 (article (horizontal 1.0
21143 (summary 0.25 point)
21148 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21149 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21151 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21152 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21153 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21154 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21155 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21157 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21158 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21159 lines from the splits.
21161 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21166 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21167 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21168 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21169 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21170 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21171 size = number | frame-params
21172 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21176 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21177 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21178 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21179 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21181 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21182 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21183 @cindex window height
21184 @cindex window width
21185 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21186 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21187 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21188 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21189 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21190 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21192 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21193 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21194 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21195 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21197 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21198 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21199 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21200 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21201 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21202 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21203 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21204 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21205 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21206 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21207 configuration list.
21210 (gnus-configure-frame
21214 (article 0.3 point))
21222 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21223 @code{frame} split:
21226 (gnus-configure-frame
21229 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21231 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21232 (user-position . t)
21233 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21238 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21239 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21240 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21241 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21242 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21243 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21244 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21245 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21247 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21248 be found in its default value.
21250 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21251 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21252 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21256 (message (horizontal 1.0
21257 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21259 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21264 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21265 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21266 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21271 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21272 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21273 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21274 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21275 (name . "Message"))
21276 (message 1.0 point))))
21279 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21280 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21281 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21282 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21283 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21286 (gnus-add-configuration
21287 '(article (vertical 1.0
21289 (summary .25 point)
21293 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21294 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21295 Gnus has been loaded.
21297 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21298 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21299 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21300 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21301 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21303 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21304 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21305 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21308 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21312 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21313 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21328 (gnus-add-configuration
21331 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21333 (summary 0.16 point)
21336 (gnus-add-configuration
21339 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21340 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21346 @node Faces and Fonts
21347 @section Faces and Fonts
21352 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21353 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21354 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21359 @section Compilation
21360 @cindex compilation
21361 @cindex byte-compilation
21363 @findex gnus-compile
21365 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21366 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21367 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
21368 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
21369 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
21370 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21371 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21372 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21375 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21376 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21377 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21378 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
21379 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21382 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
21383 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
21384 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
21385 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
21386 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
21391 @section Mode Lines
21394 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21395 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21396 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21397 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21398 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21399 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21400 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21403 @cindex display-time
21405 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21406 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21407 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21408 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21409 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21410 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21411 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21412 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21415 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21417 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21418 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21420 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21421 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21422 (length display-time-string)))))
21425 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21426 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21427 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21428 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21429 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21432 @node Highlighting and Menus
21433 @section Highlighting and Menus
21435 @cindex highlighting
21438 @vindex gnus-visual
21439 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21440 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21441 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21444 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21445 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21448 @item group-highlight
21449 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21450 @item summary-highlight
21451 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21452 @item article-highlight
21453 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21455 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21457 Create menus in the group buffer.
21459 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21461 Create menus in the article buffer.
21463 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21465 Create menus in the server buffer.
21467 Create menus in the score buffers.
21469 Create menus in all buffers.
21472 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21473 buffers, you could say something like:
21476 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21479 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21482 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21485 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21486 in all Gnus buffers.
21488 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21491 @item gnus-mouse-face
21492 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21493 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21494 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21498 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21502 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21503 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21504 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21506 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21507 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21508 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21510 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21511 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21512 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21514 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21515 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21516 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21518 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21519 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21520 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21522 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21523 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21524 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21535 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21536 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21537 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21538 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21539 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21543 @vindex gnus-carpal
21544 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21545 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21546 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21551 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21552 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21553 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21555 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21556 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21557 Face used on buttons.
21559 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21560 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21561 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21563 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21564 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21565 Buttons in the group buffer.
21567 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21568 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21569 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21571 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21572 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21573 Buttons in the server buffer.
21575 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21576 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21577 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21580 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21581 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21582 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21590 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21591 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21592 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21593 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21594 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21596 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21597 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21598 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21600 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21601 been idle for thirty minutes:
21604 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21607 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21611 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21614 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21615 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21616 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21618 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21619 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21620 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21621 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21623 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21624 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21625 @var{idle} minutes.
21627 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21628 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21631 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21632 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21633 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21635 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21636 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21637 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21638 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21640 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21641 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21643 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21645 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21648 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21649 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21650 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21651 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21652 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21653 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21654 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21655 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21656 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21657 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21658 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21660 @findex gnus-demon-init
21661 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21662 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21663 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21664 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21665 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21667 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21668 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21669 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21678 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21679 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21681 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21682 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21683 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21684 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21687 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21688 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21689 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21690 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21692 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21693 this will make spam disappear.
21695 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21698 @item gnus-use-nocem
21699 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21700 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21703 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21704 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21705 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21708 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21709 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21712 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21713 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21714 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21715 people you want to listen to. The default is
21717 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21718 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21720 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21722 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21723 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21725 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21726 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21727 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21728 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21729 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21730 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21731 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21732 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21733 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21734 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21736 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21737 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21740 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21743 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21744 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21747 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21750 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21753 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21754 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21756 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21757 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21758 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21759 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21761 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21762 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21765 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21767 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21775 This might be dangerous, though.
21777 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21778 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21779 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21780 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21782 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21783 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21784 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21785 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21786 might then see old spam.
21788 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21789 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21790 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21791 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21792 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21795 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21796 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21797 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21798 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21802 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21803 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21804 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21805 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21812 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21813 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21814 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21816 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21817 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21818 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21819 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21820 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21821 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21822 @code{undo} function.
21824 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21825 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21826 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21827 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21828 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21829 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21830 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21831 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21832 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21833 never be totally undoable.
21835 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21836 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21838 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21839 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21840 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21841 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21845 @node Predicate Specifiers
21846 @section Predicate Specifiers
21847 @cindex predicate specifiers
21849 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21850 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21851 to type all that much.
21853 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21858 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21859 gnus-article-unread-p)
21862 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21863 functions all take one parameter.
21865 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21866 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21867 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21868 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21873 @section Moderation
21876 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21877 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21878 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21881 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21885 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21888 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21890 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21895 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21896 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21897 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21900 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21901 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21904 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21905 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21909 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21912 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21913 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21917 @node Image Enhancements
21918 @section Image Enhancements
21920 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21921 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21922 taken advantage of that.
21925 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21926 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21927 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21928 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21929 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21937 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21938 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21939 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21943 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21944 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21945 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21953 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21954 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21955 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21956 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21958 The variable that controls this is the
21959 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21960 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21961 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21962 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21963 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21965 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21966 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21967 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21968 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21971 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21972 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21973 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21974 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21975 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21976 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21977 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21978 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21980 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21988 @vindex gnus-x-face
21989 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
21990 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
21991 default colors are black and white.
21993 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
21994 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
21995 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
21996 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
21997 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
21998 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22001 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22002 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22003 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22004 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22006 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22007 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22008 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22009 (png . (:relief -2))))
22012 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22013 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22014 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22015 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22016 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22017 @samp{libcompface} library.
22020 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22021 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
22023 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22024 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22025 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22026 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22027 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22028 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22029 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22030 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22031 header data as a string.
22033 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22034 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22035 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22036 randomly generated data.
22038 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22039 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22040 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22041 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22042 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22044 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22045 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22048 (setq message-required-news-headers
22049 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22050 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22053 Using the last function would be something like this:
22056 (setq message-required-news-headers
22057 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22058 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22059 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22060 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22068 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
22070 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22071 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22072 represent the author of the message.
22075 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22076 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22077 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22080 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22081 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22083 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22084 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22086 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22087 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22088 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22090 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22091 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22092 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22093 converts the file to Face format by using the
22094 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22096 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22097 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22100 (setq message-required-news-headers
22101 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22102 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22103 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22108 @subsection Smileys
22113 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22118 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22119 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22121 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22122 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22125 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22128 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22129 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22130 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22131 text and maps that to file names.
22133 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22134 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22135 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22136 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22137 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22140 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22145 @item smiley-data-directory
22146 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22147 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22149 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22150 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22151 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22165 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22166 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22167 over your shoulder as you read news.
22169 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22178 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22179 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22180 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22181 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22182 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22183 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22184 @code{GIF} formats.
22187 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22188 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22189 point your Web browser at
22190 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22192 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22193 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22195 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22196 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22199 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22200 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22201 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22202 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22204 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22208 @item gnus-picon-databases
22209 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22210 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22211 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22212 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22213 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22215 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22216 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22217 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22218 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22220 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22221 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22222 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22223 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22225 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22226 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22227 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22228 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22229 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22231 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22232 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22233 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22234 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22240 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22243 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22244 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22245 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22246 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22247 unusual directory structure.
22249 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22250 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22251 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22252 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22254 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22255 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22256 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22257 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22258 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22259 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22261 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22262 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22263 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22268 @subsubsection Toolbar
22272 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22273 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22274 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22275 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22276 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22278 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22279 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22280 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22282 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22283 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22284 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22286 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22287 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22288 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22299 @node Fuzzy Matching
22300 @section Fuzzy Matching
22301 @cindex fuzzy matching
22303 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22304 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22306 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22307 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22308 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22310 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22311 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22312 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22313 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22314 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22317 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22318 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22322 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22324 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22325 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22326 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22327 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22328 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22329 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22330 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22331 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22334 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22335 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22336 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22337 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22338 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22339 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22341 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22344 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22345 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22346 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22347 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22348 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22349 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22352 @node The problem of spam
22353 @subsection The problem of spam
22355 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22356 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22358 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22360 First, some background on spam.
22362 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22363 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22364 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22365 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22366 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22367 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22368 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22369 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22370 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22372 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22373 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22374 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22375 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22376 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22377 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22378 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22379 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22380 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22383 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22384 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22385 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22386 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22387 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22388 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22389 from Bulgarian IPs.
22391 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22392 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22393 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22394 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22396 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22397 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22398 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22399 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22401 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22402 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22403 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22404 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22405 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
22406 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
22407 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
22408 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
22409 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22411 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22412 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22413 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22414 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22415 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22416 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
22417 down for some time because of the incident.
22419 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22420 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22421 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22422 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22423 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22424 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22425 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22426 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
22427 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
22428 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
22429 the server that it has misclassified mail.
22431 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
22432 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
22433 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
22434 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
22435 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
22436 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
22437 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
22440 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22441 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22445 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22447 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22448 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22450 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22451 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22452 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22453 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22454 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22455 part of the mail address.)
22458 (setq message-default-news-headers
22459 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22462 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22463 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22467 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22468 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22469 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22474 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22475 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22476 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22477 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22479 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22480 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22481 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22482 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22483 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22484 your fancy split rule in this way:
22489 (to "larsi" "misc")
22493 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22494 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22495 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22496 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22497 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22499 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22500 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22501 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22502 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22504 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
22508 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22509 @cindex SpamAssassin
22510 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22513 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
22514 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22515 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22516 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22517 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22518 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22519 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22521 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
22522 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
22523 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
22526 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22527 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22528 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22529 Specifiers}) follow.
22533 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22537 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22540 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22541 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22542 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22545 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22549 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22552 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22553 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22557 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22558 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22559 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22560 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22563 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22565 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22569 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22570 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22574 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
22575 downloaded by default. You need to set
22576 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
22577 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
22579 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22580 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22581 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22584 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22585 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22587 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22588 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22589 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22593 @subsection Hashcash
22596 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22597 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
22598 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
22599 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
22600 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
22602 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22603 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22604 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22605 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22606 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22607 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
22608 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22609 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22610 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22611 one of them separately.
22614 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22615 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22616 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
22617 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
22618 need to install to use this feature, see
22619 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
22620 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22622 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
22623 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
22624 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
22627 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
22630 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22634 @item hashcash-default-payment
22635 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22636 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22637 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
22640 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22641 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22642 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22643 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22644 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22645 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22646 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22647 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22648 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22650 @item hashcash-path
22651 @vindex hashcash-path
22652 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
22653 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
22654 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
22655 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
22656 when you generate hashcash payments.
22660 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
22661 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
22662 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
22663 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
22664 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
22665 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
22666 Hashcash Payments}).
22668 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22669 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22670 @cindex spam filtering
22673 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22674 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
22675 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22676 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
22679 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
22680 events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
22682 @cindex spam-initialize
22683 To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
22684 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
22685 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
22686 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
22687 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
22690 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
22694 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22696 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
22697 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
22698 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
22699 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
22700 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
22702 You get the following keyboard commands:
22712 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22713 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22715 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22716 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22717 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22718 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22724 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22725 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22727 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22733 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22734 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22738 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
22739 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
22740 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
22741 * Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
22742 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
22743 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22744 * BBDB Whitelists::
22745 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22746 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22748 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22750 * SpamAssassin back end::
22751 * ifile spam filtering::
22752 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22754 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
22757 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22758 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
22759 @cindex spam filtering
22760 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
22762 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
22763 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
22765 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
22766 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
22769 Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
22770 split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
22771 spam when you enter the group.
22773 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
22774 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
22775 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
22778 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
22779 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
22780 For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
22781 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
22782 back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
22783 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
22784 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
22785 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
22786 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
22787 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
22789 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
22790 group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
22791 hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
22792 with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
22793 incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
22794 will be processed is determined by the
22795 @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
22796 messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
22797 default of only checking unseen messages.
22799 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
22800 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
22801 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
22802 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
22803 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
22804 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
22805 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
22806 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
22807 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
22809 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
22810 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
22811 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
22812 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
22813 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
22814 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
22815 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
22816 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
22817 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
22818 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
22820 Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
22821 if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
22822 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
22823 depending on the article's classification. If the
22824 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
22825 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
22828 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
22829 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
22830 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
22831 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
22832 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
22833 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
22834 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22835 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
22836 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
22837 which is what most people want. If the
22838 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
22839 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
22841 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
22842 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22844 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
22845 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
22846 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
22847 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
22848 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
22849 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
22850 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
22851 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
22852 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
22853 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
22854 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
22856 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
22857 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
22859 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
22860 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
22861 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
22863 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22864 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
22865 @cindex spam filtering
22866 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
22869 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22870 must add the following to your fancy split list
22871 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22877 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22878 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22879 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22881 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
22883 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22884 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22885 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22886 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
22887 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
22888 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
22889 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
22890 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
22891 actually give you the group
22892 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
22893 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
22895 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22896 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
22899 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22900 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22903 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22904 (any "ding" "ding")
22906 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22910 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22911 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22912 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22913 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22914 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22915 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22917 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22918 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22919 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22924 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
22925 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22926 (any "ding" "ding")
22927 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
22929 ;; @r{default mailbox}
22933 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
22934 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
22935 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
22936 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
22937 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
22938 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
22939 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
22941 You should still have specific checks such as
22942 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
22943 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
22944 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
22945 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
22946 is usually not critical, though.
22948 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22950 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22951 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22952 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22953 message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
22954 e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
22955 @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
22956 message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
22957 for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
22958 @acronym{IMAP} down.
22960 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22962 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22963 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
22964 @cindex spam filtering
22965 @cindex spam filtering variables
22966 @cindex spam variables
22969 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22970 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22971 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22972 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22973 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22974 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22975 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22976 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22977 will be detected later.
22979 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
22980 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
22981 for more information.
22983 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22984 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22985 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22986 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22987 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22988 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22989 by customizing the corresponding variable
22990 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22991 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22992 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22993 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22994 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22995 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22996 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22999 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23001 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23002 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23003 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23004 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23005 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23006 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23007 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23008 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23009 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23010 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23011 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23012 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23013 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23015 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23016 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23017 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23018 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23019 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23020 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23021 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23022 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23025 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23026 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23027 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23028 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23029 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23030 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23031 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23036 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23037 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23038 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23039 you really want to.
23042 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23043 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23044 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23045 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23046 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23047 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23050 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23051 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23052 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23053 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23054 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23055 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23056 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23057 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23058 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23059 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23060 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23061 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23062 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23063 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23064 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23066 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23067 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23069 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23070 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23071 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23073 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23074 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23076 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23077 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23078 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23079 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23080 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23082 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23083 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23084 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23085 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23086 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23089 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23090 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23091 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23092 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23093 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23094 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23095 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23096 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23097 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23098 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23099 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23100 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23101 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23103 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23104 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23106 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23107 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23110 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23111 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23112 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23113 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23114 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23115 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23116 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23118 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23119 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23120 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23121 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23123 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23124 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23125 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23126 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23127 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23128 from the mail server.
23130 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23131 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23132 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23133 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23135 @node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23136 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23137 @cindex spam scoring
23138 @cindex spam sorting
23139 @cindex spam score summary buffer
23140 @cindex spam sort summary buffer
23143 You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
23144 you can sort articles by their spam score.
23146 First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
23147 the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
23148 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
23149 back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
23150 @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
23151 If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
23152 score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
23153 variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
23154 fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
23155 internal Gnus list of required headers.
23157 To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
23158 @code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
23159 so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
23162 (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
23165 Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
23166 example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
23169 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
23170 "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
23173 Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
23177 gnus-show-threads nil
23178 gnus-article-sort-functions
23179 '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
23182 or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
23184 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23185 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23186 @cindex spam filtering
23187 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23188 @cindex spam configuration examples
23191 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23193 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23195 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23196 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23197 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23200 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23201 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23204 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23206 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23207 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23208 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23209 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23210 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23211 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23212 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23213 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23214 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23215 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23216 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23217 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23218 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23219 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23220 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23221 (any "ding" "ding")
23222 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23224 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23227 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23229 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23230 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23231 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23232 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23234 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23236 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23237 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23238 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23239 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23240 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23242 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23243 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23245 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23247 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23248 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23250 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23251 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23252 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23254 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23256 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23257 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23259 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23260 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23261 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23263 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23264 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23265 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23266 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23268 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23269 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23270 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23274 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23275 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23277 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23278 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23279 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23280 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23281 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23282 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23283 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23284 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23285 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23287 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23288 does most of the job for me:
23291 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23292 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23293 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23294 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23295 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23296 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23297 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23302 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23304 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23305 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23306 bogofilter or DCC).
23308 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23309 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23310 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23311 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23312 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23313 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23314 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23316 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23317 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23318 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23319 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23320 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23321 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23323 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23325 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23326 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23327 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23328 @samp{training.ham}.
23331 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23333 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23335 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23336 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23337 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23341 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23344 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23345 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23346 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23347 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23348 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23350 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23351 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23352 @cindex spam filtering
23353 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23354 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23357 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23359 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23360 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23361 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23362 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23367 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23369 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23370 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23371 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23372 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23373 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23377 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23379 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23380 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23381 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23385 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23387 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23388 customizing the group parameters or the
23389 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23390 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23391 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23395 Instead of the obsolete
23396 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23397 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23398 the same way, we promise.
23402 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
23404 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23405 customizing the group parameters or the
23406 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23407 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23408 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23413 Instead of the obsolete
23414 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
23415 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
23416 the same way, we promise.
23420 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
23421 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
23422 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
23423 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
23424 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
23426 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
23427 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
23428 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
23429 Emacs regular expression syntax.
23431 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
23432 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
23433 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
23434 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
23435 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
23436 @file{blacklist} respectively.
23438 @node BBDB Whitelists
23439 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
23440 @cindex spam filtering
23441 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
23442 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
23445 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
23447 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23448 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
23449 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
23450 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
23451 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23452 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
23453 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23457 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
23459 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
23460 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23461 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
23462 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
23463 classified as spammers.
23465 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
23466 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
23467 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
23468 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
23473 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
23475 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23476 customizing the group parameters or the
23477 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23478 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23479 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
23484 Instead of the obsolete
23485 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
23486 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
23487 the same way, we promise.
23491 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
23492 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
23493 @cindex spam reporting
23494 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23495 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
23498 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
23500 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23501 customizing the group parameters or the
23502 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23503 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23504 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
23507 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
23511 Instead of the obsolete
23512 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
23513 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
23514 same way, we promise.
23518 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
23520 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
23521 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
23522 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
23523 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
23524 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
23529 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23530 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
23531 @cindex spam filtering
23532 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
23535 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
23537 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
23538 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
23539 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
23540 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
23541 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
23542 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23547 @subsubsection Blackholes
23548 @cindex spam filtering
23549 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
23552 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
23554 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
23555 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
23556 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
23557 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
23558 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
23559 contains outdated servers.
23561 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
23562 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
23563 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
23564 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
23565 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
23566 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
23570 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
23572 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
23576 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
23578 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
23579 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
23583 @defvar spam-use-dig
23585 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
23586 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
23590 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
23591 ham processor for blackholes.
23593 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
23594 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
23595 @cindex spam filtering
23596 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
23599 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
23601 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
23602 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
23603 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
23604 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
23605 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
23606 message is spam or ham, respectively.
23610 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
23612 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23613 the message, positively identify it as spam.
23617 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
23619 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
23620 the message, positively identify it as ham.
23624 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
23625 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
23628 @subsubsection Bogofilter
23629 @cindex spam filtering
23630 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
23633 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
23635 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23638 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
23639 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
23640 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
23641 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
23642 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
23643 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
23645 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
23646 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
23649 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
23650 processing will be turned off.
23652 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
23656 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
23658 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
23659 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
23660 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
23661 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
23662 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
23663 installation documents for details.
23665 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
23669 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
23670 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23671 customizing the group parameters or the
23672 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23673 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
23674 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
23678 Instead of the obsolete
23679 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23680 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23681 the same way, we promise.
23684 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
23685 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23686 customizing the group parameters or the
23687 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23688 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23689 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
23690 of non-spam messages.
23694 Instead of the obsolete
23695 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
23696 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
23697 the same way, we promise.
23700 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
23702 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
23703 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
23704 database directory.
23708 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
23709 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23710 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
23711 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
23712 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
23713 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
23715 @node SpamAssassin back end
23716 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
23717 @cindex spam filtering
23718 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
23721 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
23723 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
23725 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
23726 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
23727 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
23728 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
23731 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
23732 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
23733 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
23734 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
23737 You should not enable this is you use
23738 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
23742 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
23744 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
23745 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
23747 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
23751 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
23753 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
23754 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
23755 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
23756 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
23760 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
23761 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
23762 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
23763 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
23764 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
23765 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
23766 to test this functionality.
23768 @node ifile spam filtering
23769 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
23770 @cindex spam filtering
23771 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
23774 @defvar spam-use-ifile
23776 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
23777 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
23781 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
23783 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
23784 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
23785 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
23789 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
23791 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
23792 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
23793 the default value of @samp{spam}.
23796 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
23798 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
23799 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
23803 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
23804 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23805 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
23806 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
23809 @node spam-stat spam filtering
23810 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
23811 @cindex spam filtering
23812 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
23816 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
23818 @defvar spam-use-stat
23820 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
23821 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
23825 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
23826 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23827 customizing the group parameters or the
23828 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23829 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23830 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
23834 Instead of the obsolete
23835 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23836 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23837 the same way, we promise.
23840 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
23841 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23842 customizing the group parameters or the
23843 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23844 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23845 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
23846 of non-spam messages.
23850 Instead of the obsolete
23851 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
23852 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
23853 the same way, we promise.
23856 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
23857 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
23858 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
23859 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
23860 @code{spam-split} are provided.
23863 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
23864 @cindex spam filtering
23868 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
23869 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
23870 installed separately.
23872 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
23873 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
23874 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
23875 mail as a spam mail or not.
23877 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
23878 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23879 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23881 The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23882 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23884 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23885 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
23886 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23887 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23888 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23889 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23890 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23891 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23895 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23896 spam-split-group "Junk"
23897 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23898 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23899 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23902 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23903 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23907 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23908 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23909 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23913 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23914 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23915 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23916 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23917 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23918 database to live somewhere special, set
23919 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23922 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23923 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23924 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23925 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23926 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23927 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23928 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
23929 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23930 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23931 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23933 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23934 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23935 customizing the group parameter or the
23936 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23937 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23938 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23942 Instead of the obsolete
23943 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23944 that you use @code{'(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23945 the same way, we promise.
23948 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23949 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23950 customizing the group parameter or the
23951 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23952 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23953 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23958 Instead of the obsolete
23959 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
23960 that you use @code{'(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
23961 the same way, we promise.
23964 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
23965 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23968 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23969 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
23970 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
23972 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
23973 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
23974 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
23975 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
23976 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
23977 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23979 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
23980 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
23981 @cindex spam filtering
23982 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23983 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23985 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23986 incoming mail, provide the following:
23994 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23995 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23998 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24000 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24001 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24002 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24003 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24004 register/unregister spam and ham.
24009 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24010 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24011 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24012 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24017 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24024 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24025 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24027 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24028 variables. Instead the form @code{'(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24029 @code{'(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24030 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24033 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24034 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24035 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24037 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24038 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24039 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24048 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24049 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24051 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24052 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24053 variable customization.
24057 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24059 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24060 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24062 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24063 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24069 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24071 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24072 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24073 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24076 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24078 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24079 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24083 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24085 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24086 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24087 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24091 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24093 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24094 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24095 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24098 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24100 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24101 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24105 @code{spam-install-backend}
24107 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24108 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24109 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24112 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24114 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24115 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24116 never install such a back end.
24122 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24123 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24124 @cindex Paul Graham
24125 @cindex Graham, Paul
24126 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24127 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24128 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24130 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24131 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24132 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24133 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24134 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24135 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24136 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24137 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24138 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24141 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24142 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24143 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24144 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24145 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24146 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24147 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24148 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24150 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
24151 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24152 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24153 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24154 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24157 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24158 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24159 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24162 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24163 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24165 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24166 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24167 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24168 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24169 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24171 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24172 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24173 per mail. Use the following:
24175 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24176 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24177 is treated as one spam mail.
24180 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24181 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24182 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24185 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24186 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24187 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24188 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24189 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24190 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24192 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24193 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24194 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24195 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24196 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24199 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24200 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24201 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24202 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24205 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24206 reset the dictionary.
24208 @defun spam-stat-reset
24209 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24212 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24213 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24214 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24215 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24216 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24217 only non-spam mails.
24219 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24220 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24221 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24224 @defun spam-stat-save
24225 Save the dictionary.
24228 @defvar spam-stat-file
24229 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24230 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24233 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24234 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24236 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24237 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24240 (require 'spam-stat)
24244 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24247 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24248 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24249 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24250 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24252 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24253 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24254 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24255 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24258 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24259 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24263 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24264 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24267 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24268 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24269 expression are considered potential spam.
24272 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24273 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24274 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24278 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24279 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24280 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24281 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24282 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24285 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24286 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24287 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24291 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24292 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24293 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24294 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24295 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24299 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24300 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24301 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24302 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24307 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24308 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24310 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24312 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24313 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24314 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24317 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24318 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24319 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24322 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24323 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24324 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24325 already been processed as non-spam.
24328 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24329 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24330 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24331 been processed as spam.
24334 @defun spam-stat-save
24335 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24336 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24339 @defun spam-stat-load
24340 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24341 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24344 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24345 Return the spam score for a word.
24348 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24349 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24352 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24353 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24354 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24357 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24358 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24361 (require 'spam-stat)
24365 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24368 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24369 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24370 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24371 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24372 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24373 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24374 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24375 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24376 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24377 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24378 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24379 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24380 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24381 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24384 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24387 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24388 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24389 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24390 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24391 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24392 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24396 @section Interaction with other modes
24401 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
24402 buffers. It is enabled with
24404 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24409 @findex gnus-dired-attach
24410 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
24411 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
24414 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
24415 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
24416 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
24420 @findex gnus-dired-print
24421 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
24422 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
24425 @node Various Various
24426 @section Various Various
24432 @item gnus-home-directory
24433 @vindex gnus-home-directory
24434 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
24435 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
24437 @item gnus-directory
24438 @vindex gnus-directory
24439 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
24440 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
24441 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
24443 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
24444 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
24445 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
24446 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
24448 @item gnus-default-directory
24449 @vindex gnus-default-directory
24450 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
24451 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
24452 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
24453 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
24454 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
24455 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
24458 @vindex gnus-verbose
24459 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
24460 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
24461 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
24462 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
24463 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
24465 @item gnus-verbose-backends
24466 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
24467 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
24468 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
24470 @item nnheader-max-head-length
24471 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
24472 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
24473 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
24474 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
24475 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
24476 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
24477 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
24478 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
24479 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
24481 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
24482 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
24483 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
24484 read when doing the operation described above.
24486 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24487 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24489 @cindex invalid characters in file names
24490 @cindex characters in file names
24491 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
24492 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
24493 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
24497 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
24502 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
24503 Windows (phooey) systems.
24505 @item gnus-hidden-properties
24506 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
24507 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
24508 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
24509 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
24511 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
24512 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
24513 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
24514 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
24515 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
24517 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
24518 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
24519 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
24521 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24522 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
24524 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
24525 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
24526 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
24527 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
24530 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
24538 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
24539 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
24541 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
24543 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
24549 Not because of victories @*
24552 but for the common sunshine,@*
24554 the largess of the spring.
24558 but for the day's work done@*
24559 as well as I was able;@*
24560 not for a seat upon the dais@*
24561 but at the common table.@*
24566 @chapter Appendices
24569 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
24570 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
24571 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
24572 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
24573 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
24574 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
24575 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
24576 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
24577 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
24584 @cindex installing under XEmacs
24586 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
24587 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
24588 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
24589 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
24590 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{w3},
24591 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
24598 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
24599 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
24601 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
24602 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
24603 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
24604 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
24605 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
24607 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
24608 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
24609 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
24610 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
24611 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
24612 appropriate name, don't you think?)
24614 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
24615 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
24616 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
24617 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
24620 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
24621 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
24622 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
24623 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
24624 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
24625 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
24626 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
24627 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
24628 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
24632 @node Gnus Versions
24633 @subsection Gnus Versions
24635 @cindex September Gnus
24637 @cindex Quassia Gnus
24638 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
24641 @cindex Gnus versions
24643 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
24644 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
24645 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
24647 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
24648 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
24650 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
24651 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
24653 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
24654 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
24656 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
24657 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
24660 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
24662 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
24663 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
24664 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
24665 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
24666 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
24667 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
24670 @node Other Gnus Versions
24671 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
24674 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
24675 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
24676 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
24677 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
24679 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
24680 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
24681 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
24682 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
24689 What's the point of Gnus?
24691 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
24692 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
24693 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
24694 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
24695 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
24696 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
24697 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
24698 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
24699 keep track of millions of people who post?
24701 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
24702 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
24703 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
24704 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
24705 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
24706 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
24707 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
24708 every one of you to explore and invent.
24710 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
24711 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
24714 @node Compatibility
24715 @subsection Compatibility
24717 @cindex compatibility
24718 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
24719 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
24720 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
24725 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
24729 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
24732 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
24735 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
24736 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
24737 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
24738 important variables have their values copied into their global
24739 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
24740 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
24742 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
24743 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
24744 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
24745 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
24746 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
24750 @cindex highlighting
24751 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
24752 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
24753 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
24754 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
24755 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
24756 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
24759 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
24760 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
24761 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
24762 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
24764 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
24765 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
24766 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
24767 to stop doing it the old way.
24769 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
24771 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24773 @cindex reporting bugs
24775 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
24776 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
24777 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
24779 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
24780 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
24781 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
24782 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
24787 @subsection Conformity
24789 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
24790 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
24798 There are no known breaches of this standard.
24802 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
24804 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
24805 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
24806 We do have some breaches to this one.
24812 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
24813 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
24814 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
24815 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
24816 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
24821 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
24822 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
24823 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
24824 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
24826 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
24827 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
24828 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
24830 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
24831 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
24833 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
24836 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
24837 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
24838 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
24839 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
24840 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
24843 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
24844 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
24845 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
24846 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
24848 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
24849 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
24851 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
24852 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
24853 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
24854 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
24855 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
24856 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
24857 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
24858 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
24862 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
24863 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
24868 @subsection Emacsen
24874 Gnus should work on:
24882 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
24886 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
24887 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
24888 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
24889 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
24890 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
24892 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
24893 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
24894 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
24898 @node Gnus Development
24899 @subsection Gnus Development
24901 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
24902 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
24903 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
24904 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
24905 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
24906 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
24907 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
24908 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
24910 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
24911 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
24912 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
24913 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
24914 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
24917 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
24918 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
24919 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
24920 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
24921 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
24923 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
24924 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
24925 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
24926 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
24927 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
24928 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
24929 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
24930 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
24931 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
24932 can't be assumed to do so.
24937 @subsection Contributors
24938 @cindex contributors
24940 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
24941 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
24942 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
24943 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
24944 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
24945 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
24946 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
24947 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
24948 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
24949 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
24951 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
24957 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
24960 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
24961 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
24962 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
24963 functionality and stuff.
24966 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
24967 well as numerous other things).
24970 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24973 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24976 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24979 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24982 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24983 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24986 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24989 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
24992 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24995 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24998 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25001 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25004 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25005 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25008 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25011 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25014 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25017 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25021 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25024 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25027 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25030 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25031 well as autoconf support.
25035 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25036 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25038 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25053 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25055 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25059 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25069 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25084 Massimo Campostrini,
25089 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25090 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25094 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25097 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25103 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25108 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25112 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25120 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25122 Michelangelo Grigni,
25126 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25128 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25130 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25137 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25138 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25139 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25141 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25151 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25152 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25154 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25155 Thor Kristoffersen,
25158 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25176 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25177 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25184 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25189 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25193 John McClary Prevost,
25199 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25204 Christian von Roques,
25207 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25214 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25216 Randal L. Schwartz,
25230 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25235 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25255 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25256 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25257 (550kB and counting).
25259 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25262 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25263 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25267 @subsection New Features
25268 @cindex new features
25271 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25272 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25273 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25274 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25275 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25276 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25277 * No Gnus:: Lars, FIXME!
25280 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25281 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25282 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25285 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25287 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25292 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25293 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25296 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25297 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25300 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25303 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25304 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25305 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25308 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25309 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25310 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25311 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25314 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25315 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25318 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25319 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25320 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25323 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25324 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25327 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25328 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25329 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25332 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25333 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25334 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25337 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25338 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25341 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25342 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25345 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25346 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25349 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25350 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25353 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25354 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25357 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25358 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25361 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25364 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25365 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25368 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25369 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25372 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25373 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25376 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25379 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25380 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25383 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25387 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25391 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25392 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25395 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
25401 @node September Gnus
25402 @subsubsection September Gnus
25406 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
25410 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
25415 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
25416 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
25420 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
25421 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
25425 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
25429 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
25430 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
25433 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
25437 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
25440 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
25443 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
25446 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
25450 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
25451 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
25454 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
25458 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
25462 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
25466 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
25470 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
25473 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
25474 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
25477 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
25481 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
25482 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
25485 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
25488 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
25489 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
25490 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25493 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
25497 The Gnus cache is much faster.
25500 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
25504 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
25505 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25508 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
25509 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
25512 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
25513 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
25516 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
25517 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
25518 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
25521 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
25522 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
25525 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
25528 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25531 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
25534 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
25537 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
25538 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
25541 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
25545 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
25548 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
25553 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
25556 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
25560 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25563 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
25567 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
25570 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
25573 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
25574 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25577 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
25578 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
25582 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
25583 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
25586 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
25590 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
25591 buffer to allow easier treatment.
25594 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
25597 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
25601 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
25605 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
25606 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
25609 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
25613 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
25614 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
25617 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
25618 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25621 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
25625 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
25628 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
25631 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
25637 @subsubsection Red Gnus
25639 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
25643 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
25650 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
25653 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
25654 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25657 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
25658 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
25662 Article washing status can be displayed in the
25663 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
25666 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
25669 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
25670 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
25673 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
25677 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
25678 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
25682 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
25683 Server Internals}).
25686 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
25690 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
25693 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
25694 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
25697 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
25698 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
25699 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
25702 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
25703 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25706 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
25707 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
25710 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
25714 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
25715 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25718 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
25719 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25722 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
25726 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
25729 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
25733 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
25734 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25737 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
25738 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
25741 A new command for reading collections of documents
25742 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
25743 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
25746 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
25750 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
25751 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
25754 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
25755 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
25756 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
25759 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
25760 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
25764 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
25768 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
25772 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
25777 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
25781 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
25785 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
25786 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
25789 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
25795 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
25797 New features in Gnus 5.6:
25802 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
25803 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
25804 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
25807 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
25808 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
25809 group, which is created automatically.
25812 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
25816 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
25819 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
25820 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
25823 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
25827 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
25830 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
25831 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
25834 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
25837 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
25841 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
25842 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
25845 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
25846 control over simplification.
25849 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
25852 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
25856 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
25859 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
25862 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
25863 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
25864 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
25867 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
25868 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
25871 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
25875 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
25876 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
25879 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
25880 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
25883 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
25887 A history of where mails have been split is available.
25890 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
25893 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
25894 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
25897 A new function for citing in Message has been
25898 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
25901 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
25904 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
25908 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
25909 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
25912 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
25913 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
25916 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
25919 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
25923 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
25924 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
25926 New features in Gnus 5.8:
25931 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
25932 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
25934 If you used procmail like in
25937 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
25938 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
25939 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
25940 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
25943 this now has changed to
25947 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
25951 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
25954 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
25955 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
25958 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
25959 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
25962 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
25963 called to position point.
25966 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
25967 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
25970 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25971 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25974 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25975 subtly different manner.
25978 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25979 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25980 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25983 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25988 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25991 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25996 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
25997 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
25998 region if the region is active.
26001 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26005 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26006 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26009 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26010 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26013 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26015 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26016 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26017 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26018 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26019 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26020 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26021 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26022 isn't save in general.
26027 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26028 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26029 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26030 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26035 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
26036 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
26037 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
26041 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
26044 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26049 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26050 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26052 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26053 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26057 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26058 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26061 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26063 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26064 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26069 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
26070 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
26071 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
26074 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
26075 decompressed when activated.
26078 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
26079 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
26082 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26085 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26086 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26089 Warn about email replies to news
26091 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26092 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26096 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26097 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26101 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26102 opposed to old but unread messages).
26105 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
26106 Gcc articles as read.
26109 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
26112 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26113 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26116 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26117 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26120 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
26121 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
26124 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26125 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26128 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26130 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26131 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26132 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26133 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26136 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26138 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26139 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26140 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26141 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26142 the second parameter.
26144 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26145 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26146 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26147 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26148 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26149 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26150 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26151 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26152 cycle used under Unix systems.
26154 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
26158 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
26160 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
26161 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
26162 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
26163 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
26164 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
26168 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26170 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26171 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26172 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26173 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26177 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26179 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26180 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26181 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26182 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26184 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26185 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26186 message cited below.
26189 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26192 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26194 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26195 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26196 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26197 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26198 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26201 (setq gnus-parameters
26203 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26204 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26205 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26206 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26210 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26212 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
26216 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26218 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26219 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26220 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26221 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26222 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26223 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26224 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26225 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26226 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26229 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26231 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26232 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26233 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26234 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26235 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26236 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26239 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
26240 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26244 Improved anti-spam features.
26246 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26247 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26248 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26249 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26250 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26253 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26256 Face headers handling.
26259 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26260 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26263 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26266 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26268 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26269 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26270 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26271 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26272 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26273 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26274 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26275 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26276 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26279 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26281 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26282 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26283 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26284 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26285 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26286 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26287 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26288 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26289 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26290 was inserted directly.
26293 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26295 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26296 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26302 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26303 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26304 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26305 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26306 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26307 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26308 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26309 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26310 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26311 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26312 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26313 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26314 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26315 is not needed any more.
26318 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26320 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26321 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26322 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26323 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26324 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26328 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26330 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26331 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26334 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26336 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26337 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26338 lisp directory into load-path.
26340 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26341 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26344 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26346 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26349 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26351 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26352 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26353 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26354 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26357 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26359 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26361 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26362 'bbdb-complete-name)
26366 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26368 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26369 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26370 local files as external parts.
26372 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26373 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26374 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26375 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26376 that support editing.
26379 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26381 The default value is determined from the
26382 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26383 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26384 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26387 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26389 Add a new format of match like
26391 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26392 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26394 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
26396 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
26397 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
26401 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
26403 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
26404 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
26405 need add those two headers too.
26408 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
26410 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
26411 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
26412 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
26415 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
26416 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
26417 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
26421 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
26423 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
26426 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
26428 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
26431 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26433 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26434 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26435 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26438 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
26440 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
26444 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
26446 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
26447 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
26448 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
26449 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
26450 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
26451 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
26452 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
26453 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
26456 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26458 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26459 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26460 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26461 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26462 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26465 Extended format specs.
26467 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26468 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26469 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26470 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26471 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26472 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
26475 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
26477 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
26478 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
26479 out other articles.
26481 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
26483 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
26484 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
26485 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
26486 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
26489 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26491 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26492 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26493 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26496 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
26498 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
26499 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
26500 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
26501 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
26502 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
26503 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
26504 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
26505 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
26506 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
26507 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
26508 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
26511 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
26512 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
26515 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
26516 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
26517 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
26518 message, Message Manual}).
26521 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26522 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26524 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26525 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26526 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26528 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26532 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
26533 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
26535 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
26536 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
26537 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
26538 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
26541 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
26544 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
26547 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
26548 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
26551 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
26553 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
26554 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
26555 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
26556 invalidate the digital signature.
26560 @subsubsection No Gnus
26563 New features in No Gnus:
26564 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
26566 @include gnus-news.texi
26572 @section The Manual
26576 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
26577 either @code{texi2dvi}
26579 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
26580 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
26582 to get what you hold in your hands now.
26584 The following conventions have been used:
26589 This is a @samp{string}
26592 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
26595 This is a @file{file}
26598 This is a @code{symbol}
26602 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
26606 (setq flargnoze "yes")
26609 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
26612 (setq flumphel 'yes)
26615 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
26616 ever get them confused.
26620 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
26621 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
26622 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
26623 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
26624 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
26625 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
26626 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
26632 @node On Writing Manuals
26633 @section On Writing Manuals
26635 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
26636 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
26637 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
26638 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
26639 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
26640 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
26643 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
26644 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
26645 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
26648 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
26649 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
26654 @section Terminology
26656 @cindex terminology
26661 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
26662 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
26663 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
26664 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
26665 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
26669 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
26670 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
26671 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
26672 not posting, and replying is not following up.
26676 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
26680 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
26685 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
26686 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
26687 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
26688 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
26689 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
26690 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
26691 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
26692 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
26693 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
26696 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
26697 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
26698 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
26699 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
26700 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
26701 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
26703 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
26704 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
26705 access the articles.
26707 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
26708 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
26709 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
26714 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
26715 default, way of getting news.
26719 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
26720 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
26725 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
26726 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
26730 A message that has been posted as news.
26733 @cindex mail message
26734 A message that has been mailed.
26738 A mail message or news article
26742 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
26747 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
26752 A line from the head of an article.
26756 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
26757 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
26759 @item @acronym{NOV}
26760 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
26761 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
26762 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
26763 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
26764 normal @sc{head} format.
26768 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
26769 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
26770 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
26771 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
26772 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
26773 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
26775 @item killed groups
26776 @cindex killed groups
26777 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
26778 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
26780 @item zombie groups
26781 @cindex zombie groups
26782 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
26785 @cindex active file
26786 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
26787 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
26788 is rather large, as you might surmise.
26791 @cindex bogus groups
26792 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
26793 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
26794 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
26797 @cindex activating groups
26798 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
26799 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
26800 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
26804 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
26806 @item select method
26807 @cindex select method
26808 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
26811 @item virtual server
26812 @cindex virtual server
26813 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
26814 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
26815 whole is a virtual server.
26819 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
26820 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
26823 @item ephemeral groups
26824 @cindex ephemeral groups
26825 @cindex temporary groups
26826 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
26827 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
26828 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
26831 @cindex solid groups
26832 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
26833 group buffer are solid groups.
26835 @item sparse articles
26836 @cindex sparse articles
26837 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
26838 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
26842 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
26843 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
26847 @cindex thread root
26848 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
26849 articles in the thread.
26853 An article that has responses.
26857 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
26861 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
26862 specified by RFC 1153.
26865 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
26866 @cindex mail sorting
26867 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
26868 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
26869 incorrectly called mail filtering.
26875 @node Customization
26876 @section Customization
26877 @cindex general customization
26879 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
26880 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
26881 for some quite common situations.
26884 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
26885 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
26886 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
26887 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
26891 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
26892 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
26894 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
26895 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
26896 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
26900 @item gnus-read-active-file
26901 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
26902 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
26903 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26904 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
26905 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
26907 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
26908 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
26909 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
26910 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
26914 @node Slow Terminal Connection
26915 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
26917 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
26918 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
26919 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
26923 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
26924 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
26925 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
26926 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
26927 horizontal and vertical recentering.
26929 @item gnus-visible-headers
26930 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
26931 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
26932 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
26933 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
26935 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
26937 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
26938 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
26939 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
26942 @item gnus-use-full-window
26943 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
26944 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
26945 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
26946 want to read them anyway.
26948 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
26949 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
26953 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
26954 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
26955 lines, which might save some time.
26959 @node Little Disk Space
26960 @subsection Little Disk Space
26963 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
26964 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
26968 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
26969 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
26970 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26971 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26974 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
26975 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
26976 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26977 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26980 @item gnus-save-killed-list
26981 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
26982 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
26983 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
26984 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26990 @subsection Slow Machine
26991 @cindex slow machine
26993 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26994 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26996 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26997 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26999 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27000 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27001 summary buffer faster.
27005 @node Troubleshooting
27006 @section Troubleshooting
27007 @cindex troubleshooting
27009 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27017 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27020 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27021 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27025 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27026 like @samp{T-gnus 6.17.* (based on Gnus v5.10.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
27027 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old
27028 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27031 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27032 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27035 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27036 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27037 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27038 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27039 something like that.
27042 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27045 @cindex reporting bugs
27047 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27049 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27050 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27051 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27052 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27054 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27055 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27056 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27057 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27060 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27061 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27062 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27063 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27064 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27065 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27067 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27068 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27069 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27073 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27074 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27077 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27078 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27079 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27080 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27081 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27082 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27083 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27084 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27085 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27086 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27087 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27088 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27089 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27090 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27095 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27096 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27097 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27098 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27099 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27101 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27102 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27103 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27104 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27105 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27106 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27107 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27108 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27109 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27110 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27111 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27112 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27113 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27116 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27117 @cindex ding mailing list
27118 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27119 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27120 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27121 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27125 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27126 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27128 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27129 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27130 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27131 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27134 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27135 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27136 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27137 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27138 and general methods of operation.
27141 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27142 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27143 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27144 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27145 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27146 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27147 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27148 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27149 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27153 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27154 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27155 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27156 @cindex utility functions
27158 @cindex internal variables
27160 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27161 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27162 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27166 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27167 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27168 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27170 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27171 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27172 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27174 @item gnus-group-real-name
27175 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27176 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27179 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27180 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27181 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27182 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27184 @item gnus-get-info
27185 @findex gnus-get-info
27186 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27188 @item gnus-group-unread
27189 @findex gnus-group-unread
27190 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27194 @findex gnus-active
27195 The active entry for @var{group}.
27197 @item gnus-set-active
27198 @findex gnus-set-active
27199 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27201 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27202 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27203 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27206 @item gnus-continuum-version
27207 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27208 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27209 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27212 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27213 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27214 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27216 @item gnus-news-group-p
27217 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27218 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27220 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27221 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27222 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27224 @item gnus-server-to-method
27225 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27226 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27228 @item gnus-server-equal
27229 @findex gnus-server-equal
27230 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27232 @item gnus-group-native-p
27233 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27234 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27236 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27237 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27238 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27240 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27241 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27242 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27244 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27245 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27246 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27247 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27249 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27250 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27251 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27253 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27254 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27255 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27257 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27258 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27259 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27260 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27263 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27267 @item gnus-read-method
27268 @findex gnus-read-method
27269 Prompts the user for a select method.
27274 @node Back End Interface
27275 @subsection Back End Interface
27277 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27278 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27279 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27280 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27281 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27282 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27284 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27285 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27286 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27287 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27288 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27289 been opened, the function should fail.
27291 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27292 name. Take this example:
27296 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27297 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27300 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27301 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27303 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27304 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27305 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27307 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27308 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27309 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27311 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27312 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27313 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27314 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27315 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27316 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27319 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27320 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27321 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27322 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27325 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27326 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27327 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27328 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27329 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27330 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27331 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27332 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27333 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27334 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27336 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27337 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27338 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27339 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27340 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27341 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27342 of numbers as long as possible.
27344 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27345 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27346 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27348 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27351 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27354 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27355 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27356 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27357 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27358 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27359 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27363 @node Required Back End Functions
27364 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27368 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27370 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27371 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27372 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27373 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27375 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27376 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27377 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27378 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27380 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27381 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27382 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
27383 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
27384 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
27385 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
27386 number, do maximum fetches.
27388 Here's an example HEAD:
27391 221 1056 Article retrieved.
27392 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
27393 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
27394 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
27395 Subject: Re: Something very droll
27396 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
27397 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
27399 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
27400 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
27401 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
27405 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
27406 these in the data buffer.
27408 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
27412 head = error / valid-head
27413 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
27414 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
27415 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
27416 header = <text> eol
27420 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
27422 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
27423 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
27427 nov-buffer = *nov-line
27428 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
27429 field = <text except TAB>
27432 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
27436 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
27438 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
27439 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
27441 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
27442 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
27443 server. In fact, it should do so.
27445 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
27446 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
27449 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
27451 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
27452 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
27455 There should be no data returned.
27458 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
27460 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
27461 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
27462 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
27463 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
27465 There should be no data returned.
27468 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
27470 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
27471 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
27472 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
27473 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
27475 There should be no data returned.
27478 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
27480 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
27482 There should be no data returned.
27485 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
27487 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
27488 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
27489 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
27490 it would be nice if that were possible.
27492 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
27493 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
27494 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
27495 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
27496 into its article buffer.
27498 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
27499 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
27500 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
27501 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
27502 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
27503 on successful article retrieval.
27506 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
27508 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
27509 making @var{group} the current group.
27511 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
27514 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
27517 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
27520 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
27521 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
27522 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
27523 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
27524 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
27525 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
27526 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
27527 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
27528 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
27532 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
27533 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
27534 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
27538 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27540 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
27541 a no-op on most back ends.
27543 There should be no data returned.
27546 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
27548 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
27551 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
27554 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
27555 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
27558 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
27559 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
27560 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
27561 and the highest as 0.
27564 active-file = *active-line
27565 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
27567 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
27570 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
27571 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
27572 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
27575 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
27577 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
27578 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
27579 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
27580 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
27581 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
27582 clear if the posting could not be completed.
27584 There should be no result data from this function.
27589 @node Optional Back End Functions
27590 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
27594 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
27596 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
27597 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
27598 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
27600 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
27601 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
27602 former is in the same format as the data from
27603 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
27604 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
27607 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
27611 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
27613 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
27614 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
27615 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
27616 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
27617 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
27619 There should be no result data from this function.
27622 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
27624 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
27625 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
27626 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
27627 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
27628 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
27629 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
27630 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
27631 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
27633 There should be no result data from this function.
27636 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
27638 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
27639 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
27640 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
27641 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
27642 propagate the mark information to the server.
27644 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
27647 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
27650 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
27651 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
27652 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
27653 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
27654 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
27655 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
27656 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
27657 possible, not limit itself to these.
27659 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
27660 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
27661 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
27662 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
27664 An example action list:
27667 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
27668 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
27669 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
27672 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
27673 mark on (currently not used for anything).
27675 There should be no result data from this function.
27677 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
27679 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
27680 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
27681 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
27682 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
27683 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
27685 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
27686 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
27687 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
27690 There should be no result data from this function.
27693 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
27695 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
27696 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
27697 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
27698 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
27699 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
27700 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
27701 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
27702 local if that's practical.
27704 There should be no result data from this function.
27707 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
27709 The result data from this function should be a description of
27713 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
27715 description = <text>
27718 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
27720 The result data from this function should be the description of all
27721 groups available on the server.
27724 description-buffer = *description-line
27728 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
27730 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
27731 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
27732 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
27733 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
27734 in the active buffer format.
27736 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
27737 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
27738 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
27739 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
27740 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
27741 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
27742 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
27745 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
27747 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
27749 There should be no return data.
27752 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
27754 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
27755 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
27756 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
27757 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
27758 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
27761 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
27764 There should be no result data returned.
27767 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
27769 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
27770 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
27772 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
27773 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
27774 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
27775 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
27776 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
27777 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
27779 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
27780 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
27783 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27784 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27786 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
27787 article for that group.
27789 There should be no data returned.
27792 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
27794 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
27795 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
27796 this function in short order.
27798 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
27799 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
27801 There should be no data returned.
27804 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
27806 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
27807 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
27809 There should be no data returned.
27812 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
27814 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
27815 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
27816 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
27818 There should be no data returned.
27821 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
27823 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
27824 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
27826 There should be no data returned.
27831 @node Error Messaging
27832 @subsubsection Error Messaging
27834 @findex nnheader-report
27835 @findex nnheader-get-report
27836 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
27837 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
27838 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
27839 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
27840 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
27841 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
27844 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
27846 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
27849 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
27850 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
27851 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
27852 takes one argument---the server symbol.
27854 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
27855 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
27856 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
27859 @node Writing New Back Ends
27860 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
27862 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
27863 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
27864 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
27865 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
27866 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
27869 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
27870 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
27871 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
27873 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
27874 package called @code{nnoo}.
27876 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
27877 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
27883 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
27884 parameters. For instance:
27887 (nnoo-declare nndir
27891 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
27892 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
27895 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
27896 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
27897 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
27899 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
27900 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
27901 a function in those back ends.
27904 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27905 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27906 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27909 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
27910 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
27911 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
27913 @item nnoo-define-basics
27914 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
27918 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27922 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
27923 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
27924 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
27926 @item nnoo-map-functions
27927 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
27928 functions from the parent back ends.
27931 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27932 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27933 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
27936 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
27937 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
27938 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
27939 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
27942 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
27943 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
27944 haven't already been defined.
27950 nnmh-request-newgroups)
27954 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
27955 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
27956 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
27961 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
27964 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
27965 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
27969 (require 'nnheader)
27973 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
27975 (nnoo-declare nndir
27978 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27979 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27980 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27982 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
27983 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
27986 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
27988 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27989 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27990 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27992 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27993 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27995 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27997 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27999 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28000 (setq nndir-directory
28001 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28003 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28004 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28005 (push `(nndir-current-group
28006 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28007 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28009 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28010 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28012 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28014 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28015 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28016 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28017 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28018 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28022 nnmh-status-message
28024 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28030 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28031 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28033 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28034 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28035 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28036 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28037 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28039 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28040 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28045 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28048 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28050 The abilities can be:
28054 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28056 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28058 This back end supports both mail and news.
28060 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28063 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28064 articles and groups.
28066 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28067 true for almost all back ends.
28068 @item prompt-address
28069 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28070 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28071 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28075 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28076 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28078 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28079 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28080 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28081 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28084 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28085 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28086 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28089 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28090 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28093 This function takes four parameters.
28097 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28100 @item exit-function
28101 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28103 @item temp-directory
28104 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28107 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28108 performed for one group only.
28111 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28112 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28113 find the article number assigned to this article.
28115 The function also uses the following variables:
28116 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28117 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28118 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28119 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28123 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28124 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28128 @node Score File Syntax
28129 @subsection Score File Syntax
28131 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28132 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28133 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28135 Here's a typical score file:
28139 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28146 BNF definition of a score file:
28149 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28150 element = rule / atom
28151 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28152 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28153 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28154 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28156 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28157 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28158 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28159 date-header = "date"
28160 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28161 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28162 score = "nil" / <integer>
28163 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28164 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28165 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28166 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28167 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28168 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28169 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28170 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28171 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28172 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28173 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28174 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28175 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28176 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28177 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28178 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28179 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28180 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28181 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28182 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28183 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28184 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28185 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28186 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28187 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28188 eval = "eval" space <form>
28189 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28192 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28195 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28196 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28197 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28198 one looong line, then that's ok.
28200 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28201 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28205 @subsection Headers
28207 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28208 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28209 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28210 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28212 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28213 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28214 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28215 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28216 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28217 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28218 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28220 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28221 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28222 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28223 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28224 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28226 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28227 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28233 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28234 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28236 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28237 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28238 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28239 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28241 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28245 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28248 is transformed into
28251 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28254 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28255 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28258 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28261 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28262 is slightly tricky:
28265 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28271 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28274 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28280 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28287 and is equal to the previous range.
28289 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28290 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28291 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28295 range = simple-range / normal-range
28296 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28297 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28298 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28299 number *[ " " contents ]
28302 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28303 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28304 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28305 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28306 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28311 @subsection Group Info
28313 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28314 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28315 describes the group.
28317 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28318 second is a more complex one:
28321 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28323 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28324 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28326 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28329 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28330 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28331 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28332 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28333 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28334 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28335 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28336 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28337 this section is about.
28339 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28340 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28341 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28343 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28346 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28347 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28348 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28349 group = quote <string> quote
28350 ralevel = rank / level
28351 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28352 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28353 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28355 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28356 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28357 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28358 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28361 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28362 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28365 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28366 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28369 @item gnus-info-group
28370 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28371 @findex gnus-info-group
28372 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28373 Get/set the group name.
28375 @item gnus-info-rank
28376 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28377 @findex gnus-info-rank
28378 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28379 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
28381 @item gnus-info-level
28382 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
28383 @findex gnus-info-level
28384 @findex gnus-info-set-level
28385 Get/set the group level.
28387 @item gnus-info-score
28388 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
28389 @findex gnus-info-score
28390 @findex gnus-info-set-score
28391 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
28393 @item gnus-info-read
28394 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
28395 @findex gnus-info-read
28396 @findex gnus-info-set-read
28397 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
28399 @item gnus-info-marks
28400 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
28401 @findex gnus-info-marks
28402 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
28403 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
28405 @item gnus-info-method
28406 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
28407 @findex gnus-info-method
28408 @findex gnus-info-set-method
28409 Get/set the group select method.
28411 @item gnus-info-params
28412 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
28413 @findex gnus-info-params
28414 @findex gnus-info-set-params
28415 Get/set the group parameters.
28418 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
28419 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
28421 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
28422 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
28423 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
28424 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
28427 @node Extended Interactive
28428 @subsection Extended Interactive
28429 @cindex interactive
28430 @findex gnus-interactive
28432 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
28433 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
28434 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
28437 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
28438 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
28443 The best thing to do would have been to implement
28444 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
28445 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
28446 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
28447 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
28448 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
28449 @code{interactive}.
28451 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
28456 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
28457 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
28461 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
28462 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
28463 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
28466 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
28470 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
28474 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
28480 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
28481 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
28485 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
28486 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
28487 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
28489 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
28490 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
28491 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
28492 Gnus, that's very useful.
28494 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
28495 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
28496 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
28497 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
28498 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
28499 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
28500 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
28501 following function:
28504 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
28508 (,function ,@@args))
28512 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
28513 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
28514 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
28517 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
28518 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
28519 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
28521 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
28522 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
28523 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
28526 @node Various File Formats
28527 @subsection Various File Formats
28530 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
28531 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
28535 @node Active File Format
28536 @subsubsection Active File Format
28538 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
28539 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
28542 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
28545 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
28546 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
28547 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
28548 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
28549 no.general 1000 900 y
28552 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
28555 active = *group-line
28556 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
28557 group = <non-white-space string>
28559 high-number = <non-negative integer>
28560 low-number = <positive integer>
28561 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
28564 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
28565 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
28568 @node Newsgroups File Format
28569 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
28571 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
28572 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
28573 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
28576 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
28577 Here's the definition:
28581 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
28582 group = <non-white-space string>
28584 description = <string>
28589 @node Emacs for Heathens
28590 @section Emacs for Heathens
28592 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
28593 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
28594 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
28595 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
28596 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
28597 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
28598 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
28602 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
28603 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
28608 @subsection Keystrokes
28612 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
28615 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
28618 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
28619 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
28620 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
28621 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
28622 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
28623 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
28625 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
28626 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
28627 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
28628 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
28629 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
28630 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
28631 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
28633 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
28634 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
28635 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
28636 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
28637 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
28638 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
28639 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
28641 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
28642 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
28643 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
28644 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
28645 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
28651 @subsection Emacs Lisp
28653 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
28654 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
28655 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
28656 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
28658 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
28659 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
28660 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
28661 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
28662 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
28663 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
28664 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
28667 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
28668 write the following:
28671 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
28674 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
28675 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
28676 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
28679 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
28680 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
28681 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
28682 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
28683 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
28685 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
28686 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
28687 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
28691 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
28695 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
28698 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
28699 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
28702 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
28705 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
28706 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
28709 @include gnus-faq.texi
28729 @c Local Variables:
28731 @c coding: iso-8859-1