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4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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266 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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275 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
276 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
279 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
280 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
281 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
282 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
283 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
284 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
285 License'' in the Emacs manual.
287 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
288 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
289 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
291 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
292 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
293 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
294 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
302 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
304 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
306 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
307 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
308 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
309 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
310 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
311 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
312 License'' in the Emacs manual.
314 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
315 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
316 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
318 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
319 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
320 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
321 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
327 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
329 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
332 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
333 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
335 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
336 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
337 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
338 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
339 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
340 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
341 License'' in the Emacs manual.
343 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
344 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
345 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
347 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
348 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
349 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
350 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
359 @top The gnus Newsreader
363 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
364 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
365 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
368 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
369 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
370 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
371 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
372 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
373 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
375 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
386 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
387 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
389 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
390 being accused of plagiarism:
392 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
393 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
394 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
395 can even read news with it!
397 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
398 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
399 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
400 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
401 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
407 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
408 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
409 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
410 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
411 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
412 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
413 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
414 * Various:: General purpose settings.
415 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
416 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
417 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
418 * Key Index:: Key Index.
421 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
425 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
426 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
427 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
428 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
429 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
430 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
435 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
439 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
440 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
441 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
445 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
446 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
447 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
448 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
449 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
450 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
451 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
452 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
453 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
454 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
455 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
456 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
457 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
458 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
459 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
460 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
461 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
465 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
466 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
467 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
471 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
472 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
473 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
474 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
475 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
479 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
480 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
481 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
482 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
486 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
487 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
488 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
489 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
490 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
491 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
492 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
493 * Threading:: How threads are made.
494 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
495 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
496 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
497 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
498 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
499 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
500 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
501 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
502 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
503 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
504 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
505 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
506 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
507 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
508 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
509 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
510 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
511 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
512 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
513 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
514 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
516 Summary Buffer Format
518 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
519 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
520 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
521 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
525 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
526 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
528 Reply, Followup and Post
530 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
531 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
532 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
533 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
537 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
538 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
539 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
540 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
541 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
542 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
546 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
547 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
549 Customizing Threading
551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
558 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
559 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
560 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
561 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
562 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
563 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
567 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
568 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
569 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
573 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
574 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
575 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
576 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
577 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
578 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
579 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
580 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
582 Alternative Approaches
584 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
585 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
587 Various Summary Stuff
589 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
590 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
591 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
592 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
596 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
597 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
598 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
599 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
600 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
604 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
605 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
606 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
607 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
608 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
609 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
610 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
611 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
615 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
616 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
617 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
618 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
619 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
620 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
621 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
625 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
626 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
627 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
628 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
629 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
630 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
631 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
635 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
636 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
640 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
641 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
642 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
643 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
644 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
645 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
646 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
647 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
648 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
649 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
650 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
651 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
652 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
656 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
657 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
658 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
660 Choosing a Mail Backend
662 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
663 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
664 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
665 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
666 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
667 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
671 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
672 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
673 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
674 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
678 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
679 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
680 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
681 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
682 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
683 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
687 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
691 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
692 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
693 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
697 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
698 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
699 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
703 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
704 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
708 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
709 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
710 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
711 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
712 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
713 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
714 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
715 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
716 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
717 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
721 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
722 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
723 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
727 * Group Agent Commands::
728 * Summary Agent Commands::
729 * Server Agent Commands::
733 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
734 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
735 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
736 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
737 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
738 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
739 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
740 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
741 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
742 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
743 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
744 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
745 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
746 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
747 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
748 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
752 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
753 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
754 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
755 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
759 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
760 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
761 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
765 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
766 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
767 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
768 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
769 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
770 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
771 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
772 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
773 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
774 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
775 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
776 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
777 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
778 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
779 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
780 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
781 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
782 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
786 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
787 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
788 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
789 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
790 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
794 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
795 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
796 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
797 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
801 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
802 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
803 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
804 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
805 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
809 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
810 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
811 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
812 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
813 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
814 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
815 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
816 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
820 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
821 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
822 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
823 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
824 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
825 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
826 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
827 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
828 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
832 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
833 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
834 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
835 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
836 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
840 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
841 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
842 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
843 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
847 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
848 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
849 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
850 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
851 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
852 * Group Info:: The group info format.
853 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
854 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
855 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
859 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
860 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
861 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
862 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
863 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
864 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
868 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
869 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
873 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
874 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
880 @chapter Starting gnus
885 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
886 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
889 @findex gnus-other-frame
890 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
891 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
892 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
894 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
895 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
896 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
898 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
899 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
902 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
903 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
904 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
905 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
906 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
907 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
908 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
909 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
910 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
911 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
912 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
916 @node Finding the News
917 @section Finding the News
920 @vindex gnus-select-method
922 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
923 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
924 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
925 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
928 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
929 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
932 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
935 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
938 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
941 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
942 certainly be much faster.
944 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
946 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
947 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
948 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
949 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
950 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
951 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
953 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
954 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
955 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
956 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
958 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
959 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
960 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
961 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
962 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
963 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
964 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
965 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
966 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
969 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
971 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
972 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
973 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
974 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
975 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
976 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
978 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
980 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
981 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
982 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
983 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
984 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
985 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
988 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
989 would typically set this variable to
992 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
997 @section The First Time
998 @cindex first time usage
1000 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1001 be subscribed by default.
1003 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1004 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1005 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1006 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1009 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1010 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1011 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1013 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1014 help you with most common problems.
1016 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1017 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1021 @node The Server is Down
1022 @section The Server is Down
1023 @cindex server errors
1025 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1026 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1027 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1029 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1030 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1031 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1032 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1033 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1034 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1035 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1037 @findex gnus-no-server
1038 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1040 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1041 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1042 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1043 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1044 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1045 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1046 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1050 @section Slave Gnusae
1053 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1054 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1055 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1056 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1058 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1059 @code{.newsrc} file.
1061 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1062 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1063 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1064 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1065 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1066 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1067 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1069 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1070 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1071 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1072 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1073 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1074 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1075 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1076 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1078 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1079 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1082 @node Fetching a Group
1083 @section Fetching a Group
1084 @cindex fetching a group
1086 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1087 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1088 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1089 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1090 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1091 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1097 @cindex subscription
1099 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1100 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1101 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1102 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1103 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1104 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1105 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1106 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1107 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1110 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1111 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
1112 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
1116 @node Checking New Groups
1117 @subsection Checking New Groups
1119 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1120 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1121 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1122 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1123 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1124 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1125 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1126 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1127 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1128 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1130 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1131 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1132 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1133 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1134 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1135 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1136 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1137 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1138 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1139 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1140 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1142 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1143 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1144 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1145 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1146 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1147 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1150 @node Subscription Methods
1151 @subsection Subscription Methods
1153 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1154 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1155 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1157 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1158 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1160 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1164 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1165 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1166 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1167 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1168 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1170 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1171 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1172 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1173 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1175 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1176 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1177 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1181 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1182 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1183 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1184 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1185 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1186 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1187 up. Or something like that.
1189 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1190 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1191 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1192 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1193 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1195 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1196 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1197 Kill all new groups.
1199 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1200 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1201 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1202 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1203 topic parameter that looks like
1209 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1212 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1217 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1218 A closely related variable is
1219 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1220 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1221 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1222 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1225 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1226 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1227 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1228 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1231 @node Filtering New Groups
1232 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1234 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1235 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1236 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1239 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1243 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1244 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1245 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1246 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1247 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1248 subscribing these groups.
1249 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1250 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1252 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1253 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1254 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1255 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1256 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1257 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1258 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1259 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1261 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1262 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1263 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1264 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1265 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1266 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1267 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1268 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1269 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1270 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1272 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1273 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1276 @node Changing Servers
1277 @section Changing Servers
1278 @cindex changing servers
1280 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1281 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1282 very flaky and you want to use another.
1284 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1285 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1289 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1290 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1291 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1292 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1295 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1296 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1297 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1298 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1300 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1301 @findex gnus-change-server
1302 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1303 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1304 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1305 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1306 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1308 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1309 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1310 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1311 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1312 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1314 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1315 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1316 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1317 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1318 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1319 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1321 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1322 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1323 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1327 @section Startup Files
1328 @cindex startup files
1333 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1334 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1336 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1337 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1338 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1339 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1340 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1341 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1342 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1344 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1345 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1346 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1347 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1348 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1349 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1351 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1352 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1353 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1354 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1355 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1356 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1357 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1358 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1359 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1360 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1362 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1363 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1364 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1365 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1366 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1367 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1368 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1369 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1370 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1371 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1372 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1373 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1375 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1376 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1377 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1378 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1380 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1381 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1382 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1383 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1384 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1385 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1386 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1387 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1388 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1389 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1392 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1393 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1395 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1396 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1399 @vindex gnus-init-file
1400 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1401 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1402 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1403 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1404 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1405 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1406 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1407 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1408 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1414 @cindex dribble file
1417 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1418 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1419 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1420 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1421 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1424 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1425 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1428 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1429 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1430 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1432 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1433 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1434 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1435 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1436 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1437 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1439 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1440 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1441 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1444 @node The Active File
1445 @section The Active File
1447 @cindex ignored groups
1449 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1450 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1451 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1453 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1454 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1455 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1456 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1457 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1458 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1459 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1462 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1463 @c if you set it to anything else.
1465 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1467 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1468 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1469 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1471 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1472 you actually subscribe to.
1474 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1475 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1476 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1477 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1479 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1480 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1481 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1482 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1483 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1484 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1486 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1487 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1488 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1491 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1492 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1493 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1494 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1495 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1496 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1498 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1499 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1501 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1502 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1504 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1505 secondary select methods.
1508 @node Startup Variables
1509 @section Startup Variables
1513 @item gnus-load-hook
1514 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1515 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1516 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1517 times you start gnus.
1519 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1520 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1521 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1523 @item gnus-startup-hook
1524 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1525 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1527 @item gnus-started-hook
1528 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1529 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1532 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1533 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1534 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1535 generating the group buffer.
1537 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1538 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1539 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1540 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1541 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1542 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1543 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1544 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1546 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1547 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1548 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1549 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1550 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1551 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1553 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1554 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1555 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1557 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1558 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1559 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1561 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1562 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1563 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1564 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1570 @chapter Group Buffer
1571 @cindex group buffer
1573 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1574 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1575 long as gnus is active.
1579 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1580 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1581 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1582 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1583 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1584 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1585 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1586 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1592 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1593 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1594 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1595 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1596 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1597 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1598 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1599 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1600 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1601 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1602 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1603 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1604 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1605 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1606 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1607 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1608 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1612 @node Group Buffer Format
1613 @section Group Buffer Format
1616 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1617 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1618 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1622 @node Group Line Specification
1623 @subsection Group Line Specification
1624 @cindex group buffer format
1626 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1627 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1629 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1632 25: news.announce.newusers
1633 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1638 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1639 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1640 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1641 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1643 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1644 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1645 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1646 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1647 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1648 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1650 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1652 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1653 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1654 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1655 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1658 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1659 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1660 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1662 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1667 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1670 Whether the group is subscribed.
1673 Level of subscribedness.
1676 Number of unread articles.
1679 Number of dormant articles.
1682 Number of ticked articles.
1685 Number of read articles.
1688 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1689 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1692 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1695 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1704 Newsgroup description.
1707 @samp{m} if moderated.
1710 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1719 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1723 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1726 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1727 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1728 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1729 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1730 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1733 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1735 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1739 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1742 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1746 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1747 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1748 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1749 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1750 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1751 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1756 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1757 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1758 group, or a bogus native group.
1761 @node Group Modeline Specification
1762 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1763 @cindex group modeline
1765 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1766 The mode line can be changed by setting
1767 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1768 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1772 The native news server.
1774 The native select method.
1778 @node Group Highlighting
1779 @subsection Group Highlighting
1780 @cindex highlighting
1781 @cindex group highlighting
1783 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1784 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1785 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1786 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1787 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1789 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1793 (cond (window-system
1794 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1795 (defface my-group-face-1
1796 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1797 (defface my-group-face-2
1798 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1799 (defface my-group-face-3
1800 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1801 (defface my-group-face-4
1802 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1803 (defface my-group-face-5
1804 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1806 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1807 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1808 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1809 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1810 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1811 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1814 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1816 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1823 The number of unread articles in the group.
1827 Whether the group is a mail group.
1829 The level of the group.
1831 The score of the group.
1833 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1835 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1836 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1838 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1839 topic being inserted.
1842 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1843 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1844 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1846 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1847 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1848 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1849 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1850 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1853 @node Group Maneuvering
1854 @section Group Maneuvering
1855 @cindex group movement
1857 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1858 expected, hopefully.
1864 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1865 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1866 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1872 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1873 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1874 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1878 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1879 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1883 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1884 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1888 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1889 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1890 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1894 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1895 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1896 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1899 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1905 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1906 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1907 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1912 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1913 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1914 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1918 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1919 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1920 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1923 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1924 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1925 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1926 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1930 @node Selecting a Group
1931 @section Selecting a Group
1932 @cindex group selection
1937 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1938 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1939 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1940 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1941 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1942 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1943 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1944 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1945 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1946 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1948 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1949 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1950 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1952 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1953 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1958 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1959 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1960 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1961 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1962 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1966 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1967 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1968 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1969 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1970 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1971 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1972 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1973 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1974 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1975 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1978 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1979 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1980 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1981 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1982 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1985 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1986 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1987 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1988 doing any processing of its contents
1989 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1990 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1991 manner will have no permanent effects.
1995 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1996 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
1997 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1998 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
1999 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2000 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2001 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2002 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2005 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2006 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2007 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2008 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2013 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2014 full summary buffer.
2017 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2020 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2025 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2026 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2027 Useful functions include:
2030 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2031 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2032 don't select the article.
2034 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2035 Select the first unread article.
2037 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2038 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2042 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2043 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2044 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2048 @node Subscription Commands
2049 @section Subscription Commands
2050 @cindex subscription
2058 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2059 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2060 Toggle subscription to the current group
2061 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2067 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2068 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2069 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2070 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2076 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2077 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2078 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2084 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2085 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2088 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2090 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2091 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2092 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2098 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2099 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2103 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2104 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2107 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2108 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2109 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2110 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2111 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2112 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2113 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2114 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2115 @file{.newsrc} file.
2119 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2129 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2130 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2131 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2132 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2133 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2134 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2139 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2140 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2141 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2145 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2146 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2147 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2149 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2150 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2151 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2152 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2153 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2154 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2161 @section Group Levels
2165 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2166 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2167 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2168 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2169 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2171 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2177 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2178 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2179 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2180 prompted for a level.
2183 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2184 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2185 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2186 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2187 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2188 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2189 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2190 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2191 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2192 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2193 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2194 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2195 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2196 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2197 reasons of efficiency.
2199 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2200 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2202 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2203 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2204 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2205 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2206 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2207 groups are hidden, in a way.
2209 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2210 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2211 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2212 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2213 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2214 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2216 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2217 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2218 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2219 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2220 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2221 list of killed groups.)
2223 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2224 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2225 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2227 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2228 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2229 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2230 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2231 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2232 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2233 relevant valid ranges.
2235 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2236 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2237 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2238 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2239 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2240 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2243 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2244 one with the best level.
2246 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2247 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2248 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2251 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2252 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2253 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2254 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2257 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2258 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2259 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2260 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2262 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2263 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2264 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2265 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2266 to 5. The default is 6.
2270 @section Group Score
2275 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2276 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2277 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2280 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2281 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2282 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2283 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2284 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2285 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2286 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2287 least significant part.))
2289 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2290 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2291 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2292 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2293 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2294 action after each summary exit, you can add
2295 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2296 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2297 slow things down somewhat.
2300 @node Marking Groups
2301 @section Marking Groups
2302 @cindex marking groups
2304 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2305 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2306 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2307 bidding on those groups.
2309 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2310 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2311 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2319 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2320 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2326 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2327 Remove the mark from the current group
2328 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2332 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2333 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2337 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2338 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2342 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2343 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2347 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2348 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2349 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2352 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2354 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2355 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2356 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2357 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2358 the command to be executed.
2361 @node Foreign Groups
2362 @section Foreign Groups
2363 @cindex foreign groups
2365 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2366 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2367 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2368 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2375 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2376 @cindex making groups
2377 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2378 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2379 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2383 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2384 @cindex renaming groups
2385 Rename the current group to something else
2386 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2387 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2393 @findex gnus-group-customize
2394 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2398 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2399 @cindex renaming groups
2400 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2401 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2405 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2406 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2407 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2411 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2412 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2413 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2417 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2419 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2420 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2425 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2426 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2430 @cindex (ding) archive
2431 @cindex archive group
2432 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2433 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2434 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2435 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2436 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2437 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2438 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2442 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2444 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2445 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2446 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2447 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2451 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2453 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2454 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2455 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2459 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2460 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2462 Make a group based on some file or other
2463 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2464 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2465 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2466 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2467 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2468 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2469 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2473 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2474 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2475 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2476 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2485 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2486 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2487 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2488 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2489 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2490 @xref{Web Searches}.
2492 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2493 to a particular group by using a match string like
2494 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2497 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2498 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2499 This function will delete the current group
2500 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2501 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2502 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2503 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2504 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2508 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2509 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2510 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2514 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2515 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2516 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2519 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2522 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2523 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2524 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2525 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2526 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2527 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2531 @node Group Parameters
2532 @section Group Parameters
2533 @cindex group parameters
2535 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2536 Here's an example group parameter list:
2539 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2543 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2544 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2545 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2546 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2548 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2549 is an alist of regexps and values.
2551 The following group parameters can be used:
2556 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2559 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2562 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2563 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2564 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2565 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2566 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2568 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2569 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2570 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2571 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2572 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2573 list address instead.
2575 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2579 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2582 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2585 It is totally ignored
2586 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2587 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2589 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2590 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2591 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2592 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2593 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2595 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2596 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2597 sending the message.
2599 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2603 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2604 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2605 of whether it has any unread articles.
2607 @item broken-reply-to
2608 @cindex broken-reply-to
2609 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2610 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2611 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2612 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2613 broken behavior. So there!
2617 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2618 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2622 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2623 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2624 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2629 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2630 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2631 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2632 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2633 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2634 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2635 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2639 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2640 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2641 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2643 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2646 @cindex total-expire
2647 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2648 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2649 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2650 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2653 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2657 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2658 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2659 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2660 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2661 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2662 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2665 @cindex score file group parameter
2666 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2667 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2668 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2671 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2672 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2673 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2674 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2677 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2678 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2679 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2680 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2683 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2684 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2688 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2691 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2696 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2697 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2698 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2702 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2703 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2704 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2706 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2708 @item ignored-charsets
2709 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
2710 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2711 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2713 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2716 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2717 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2718 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2719 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2720 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2722 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2723 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2724 like this in the group parameters:
2729 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2733 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2734 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2735 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2736 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2737 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2739 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2740 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2741 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2742 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2743 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2744 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2745 @code{eval}ed there.
2747 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2748 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2749 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2750 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2751 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2755 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2756 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2757 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2758 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2759 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2762 @node Listing Groups
2763 @section Listing Groups
2764 @cindex group listing
2766 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2774 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2775 List all groups that have unread articles
2776 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2777 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2778 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2779 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2786 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2787 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2788 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2789 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2790 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2791 unsubscribed groups).
2795 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2796 List all unread groups on a specific level
2797 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2798 with no unread articles.
2802 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2803 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2804 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2805 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2810 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2811 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2815 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2816 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2817 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2821 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2822 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2826 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2827 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2828 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2829 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2830 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2831 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2832 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2833 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2837 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2838 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2839 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2843 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2844 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2845 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2849 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2850 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2854 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2855 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2859 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2860 List groups limited within the current selection
2861 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2865 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2866 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2870 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2871 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2875 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2876 @cindex visible group parameter
2877 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2878 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2879 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2880 get the same effect.
2882 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2883 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2884 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2885 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2886 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2889 @node Sorting Groups
2890 @section Sorting Groups
2891 @cindex sorting groups
2893 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2894 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2895 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2896 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2897 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2898 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2903 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2904 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2905 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2907 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2908 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2909 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2911 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2912 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2913 Sort by group level.
2915 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2916 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2917 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2919 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2920 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2921 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2922 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2924 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2925 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2926 Sort by number of unread articles.
2928 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2929 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2930 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2932 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2933 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2934 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2939 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2940 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2944 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2945 some sorting criteria:
2949 @kindex G S a (Group)
2950 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2951 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2952 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2955 @kindex G S u (Group)
2956 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2957 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2958 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2961 @kindex G S l (Group)
2962 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2963 Sort the group buffer by group level
2964 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2967 @kindex G S v (Group)
2968 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2969 Sort the group buffer by group score
2970 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2973 @kindex G S r (Group)
2974 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2975 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2976 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2979 @kindex G S m (Group)
2980 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2981 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2982 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2986 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2987 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2989 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2990 commands will sort in reverse order.
2992 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2996 @kindex G P a (Group)
2997 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2998 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2999 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3002 @kindex G P u (Group)
3003 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3004 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3005 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3008 @kindex G P l (Group)
3009 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3010 Sort the groups by group level
3011 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3014 @kindex G P v (Group)
3015 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3016 Sort the groups by group score
3017 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3020 @kindex G P r (Group)
3021 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3022 Sort the groups by group rank
3023 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3026 @kindex G P m (Group)
3027 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3028 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3029 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3033 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3037 @node Group Maintenance
3038 @section Group Maintenance
3039 @cindex bogus groups
3044 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3045 Find bogus groups and delete them
3046 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3050 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3051 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3052 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3053 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3054 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3058 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3059 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3060 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3061 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
3064 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3065 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3066 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
3067 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3072 @node Browse Foreign Server
3073 @section Browse Foreign Server
3074 @cindex foreign servers
3075 @cindex browsing servers
3080 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3081 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3082 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3083 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3086 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3087 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3088 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3089 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3091 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3096 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3097 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3101 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3102 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3105 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3106 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3107 Enter the current group and display the first article
3108 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3111 @kindex RET (Browse)
3112 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3113 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3117 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3118 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3119 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3125 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3126 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3130 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3131 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3132 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3137 @section Exiting gnus
3138 @cindex exiting gnus
3140 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3145 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3146 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3147 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3148 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3152 @findex gnus-group-exit
3153 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3154 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3158 @findex gnus-group-quit
3159 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3160 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3163 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3164 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3165 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3166 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3167 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3172 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3173 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3174 trying to customize meta-variables.
3179 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3180 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3181 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3187 @section Group Topics
3190 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3191 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3192 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3193 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3194 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3195 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3199 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3200 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3211 2: alt.religion.emacs
3214 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3216 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3217 13: comp.sources.unix
3220 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3222 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3223 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3224 is a toggling command.)
3226 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3227 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3228 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3229 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3232 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3233 the hook for the group mode:
3236 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3240 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3241 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3242 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3243 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3244 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3248 @node Topic Variables
3249 @subsection Topic Variables
3250 @cindex topic variables
3252 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3253 really neat, I think.
3255 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3256 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3257 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3270 Number of groups in the topic.
3272 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3274 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3277 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3278 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3279 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3282 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3283 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3285 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3286 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3287 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3290 @node Topic Commands
3291 @subsection Topic Commands
3292 @cindex topic commands
3294 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3295 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3296 definitions slightly.
3302 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3303 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3304 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3308 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3309 Move the current group to some other topic
3310 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3311 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3315 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3316 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3320 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3321 Copy the current group to some other topic
3322 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3323 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3327 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3328 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3329 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3333 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3334 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3335 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3339 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3340 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3341 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3342 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3343 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3344 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3345 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3348 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3349 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3353 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3354 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3355 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3359 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3360 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3361 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3365 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3366 Toggle hiding empty topics
3367 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3371 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3372 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3373 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3376 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3377 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3378 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3379 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3383 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3385 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3386 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3387 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3388 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3391 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3392 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3393 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3394 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3398 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3400 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3401 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3402 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3403 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3404 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3405 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3408 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3409 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3410 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
3411 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
3415 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3416 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3417 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3421 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3422 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3423 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3428 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3429 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3432 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3433 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3434 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3438 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3439 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3440 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3444 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3445 @cindex group parameters
3446 @cindex topic parameters
3448 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3449 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3455 @subsection Topic Sorting
3456 @cindex topic sorting
3458 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3464 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3465 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3466 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3467 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3470 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3471 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3472 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3473 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3476 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3477 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3478 Sort the current topic by group level
3479 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3482 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3483 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3484 Sort the current topic by group score
3485 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3488 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3489 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3490 Sort the current topic by group rank
3491 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3494 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3495 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3496 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3497 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3501 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3504 @node Topic Topology
3505 @subsection Topic Topology
3506 @cindex topic topology
3509 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3515 2: alt.religion.emacs
3518 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3520 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3521 13: comp.sources.unix
3524 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3525 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3526 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3531 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3532 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3536 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3537 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3538 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3539 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3540 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3541 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3543 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3544 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3545 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3548 @node Topic Parameters
3549 @subsection Topic Parameters
3550 @cindex topic parameters
3552 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3553 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3554 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3556 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3561 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3562 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3563 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3568 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3569 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3570 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3571 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3577 2: alt.religion.emacs
3581 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3583 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3584 13: comp.sources.unix
3588 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3589 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3590 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3591 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3592 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3593 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3595 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3596 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3597 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3598 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3599 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3601 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3602 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3603 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3604 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3605 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3606 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3607 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3608 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3611 @node Misc Group Stuff
3612 @section Misc Group Stuff
3615 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3616 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3617 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3618 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3625 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3626 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3627 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3631 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3632 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3633 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3637 @findex gnus-group-mail
3638 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3642 Variables for the group buffer:
3646 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3647 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3648 is called after the group buffer has been
3651 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3652 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3653 is called after the group buffer is
3654 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3657 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3658 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3659 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3660 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3662 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3663 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3664 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3665 whether they are empty or not.
3667 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3668 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3669 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3670 non-ASCII group names.
3674 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3675 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3678 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3679 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3680 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3681 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3685 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3686 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3691 @node Scanning New Messages
3692 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3693 @cindex new messages
3694 @cindex scanning new news
3700 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3701 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3702 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3703 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3704 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3705 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3710 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3711 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3712 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3713 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3714 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3715 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3716 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3718 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3719 @cindex activating groups
3721 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3722 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3727 @findex gnus-group-restart
3728 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3729 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3730 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3734 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3735 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3737 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3738 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3742 @node Group Information
3743 @subsection Group Information
3744 @cindex group information
3745 @cindex information on groups
3752 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3753 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3756 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3757 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3758 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3759 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3760 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3761 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3762 for fetching the file.
3764 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3765 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3769 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3771 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3772 @cindex describing groups
3773 @cindex group description
3774 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3775 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3776 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3780 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3781 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3782 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3789 @findex gnus-version
3790 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3794 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3795 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3798 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3801 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3802 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3806 @node Group Timestamp
3807 @subsection Group Timestamp
3809 @cindex group timestamps
3811 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3812 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3813 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3816 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3819 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3821 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3822 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3825 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3826 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3829 This will result in lines looking like:
3832 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3833 0: custom 19961002T012713
3836 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3837 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3841 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3842 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3847 @subsection File Commands
3848 @cindex file commands
3854 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3855 @vindex gnus-init-file
3856 @cindex reading init file
3857 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3858 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3862 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3863 @cindex saving .newsrc
3864 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3865 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3866 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3869 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3870 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3871 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3876 @node Summary Buffer
3877 @chapter Summary Buffer
3878 @cindex summary buffer
3880 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3881 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3883 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3884 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3886 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3889 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3890 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3891 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3892 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3893 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3894 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3895 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3896 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3897 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3898 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3899 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3900 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3901 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3902 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3903 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3904 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3905 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3906 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3907 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3908 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3909 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3910 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3911 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3912 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3913 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3914 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3915 or reselecting the current group.
3916 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3917 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3918 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3922 @node Summary Buffer Format
3923 @section Summary Buffer Format
3924 @cindex summary buffer format
3928 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3929 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3930 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3936 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3937 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3938 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3939 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3942 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3943 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3944 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3945 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3946 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3947 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3948 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3949 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3950 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3951 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3952 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3953 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3954 other function instead:
3957 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3958 'mail-extract-address-components)
3961 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3962 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3963 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3964 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3967 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3968 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3970 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3971 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3972 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3973 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3974 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3976 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3978 The following format specification characters are understood:
3984 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3985 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3987 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3988 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3989 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3991 Full @code{From} header.
3993 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3995 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3996 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3998 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3999 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4000 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4001 may be more thorough.
4003 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4006 Number of lines in the article.
4008 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
4009 methods (like nnfolder).
4011 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4013 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4014 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4016 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4017 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4019 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4020 for adopted articles.
4022 One space for each thread level.
4024 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4029 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4030 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4034 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4036 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4037 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4038 default level. If the difference between
4039 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4040 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4048 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4050 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4056 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4057 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4059 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4060 article has any children.
4066 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4067 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4068 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4069 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4070 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4071 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4074 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4075 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4076 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4077 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4078 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4079 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4081 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4082 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4084 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4087 @node To From Newsgroups
4088 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4092 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4093 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4094 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4095 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4096 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4100 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4101 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4102 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4106 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4107 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4110 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4111 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4114 @findex gnus-extra-header
4115 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4116 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4117 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4120 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4124 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4125 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4126 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4127 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4128 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4129 headers are used instead.
4133 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4134 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4135 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4136 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4139 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4140 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4141 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4142 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4144 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4148 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4150 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4151 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4152 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4153 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4157 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4158 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4165 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4166 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4169 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4170 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4172 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4173 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4174 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4175 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4177 Here are the elements you can play with:
4183 Unprefixed group name.
4185 Current article number.
4187 Current article score.
4191 Number of unread articles in this group.
4193 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4196 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4197 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4198 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4199 and no unselected ones.
4201 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4202 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4204 Subject of the current article.
4206 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4208 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4210 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4212 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4214 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4216 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4220 @node Summary Highlighting
4221 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4225 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4226 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4227 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4228 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4229 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4231 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4232 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4233 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4234 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4236 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4237 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4238 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4239 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4241 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4242 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4243 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4244 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4245 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4246 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4249 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4250 ((> score default) . bold))
4252 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4253 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4257 @node Summary Maneuvering
4258 @section Summary Maneuvering
4259 @cindex summary movement
4261 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4262 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4264 None of these commands select articles.
4269 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4270 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4271 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4272 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4273 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4277 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4278 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4279 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4280 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4281 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4284 @kindex G g (Summary)
4285 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4286 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4287 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4290 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4291 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4292 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4293 to the group buffer.
4295 Variables related to summary movement:
4299 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4300 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4301 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4302 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4303 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4304 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4305 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4306 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4307 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4308 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4309 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4310 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4311 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4312 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4314 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4315 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4316 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4317 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4318 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4319 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4320 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4322 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4324 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4325 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4326 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4327 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4328 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4330 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4331 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4332 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4333 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4334 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4335 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4336 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4337 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4340 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4341 the given number of lines from the top.
4346 @node Choosing Articles
4347 @section Choosing Articles
4348 @cindex selecting articles
4351 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4352 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4356 @node Choosing Commands
4357 @subsection Choosing Commands
4359 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4360 and they all select and display an article.
4362 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4363 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4367 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4368 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4369 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4370 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4375 @kindex G n (Summary)
4376 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4377 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4378 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4383 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4384 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4385 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4390 @kindex G N (Summary)
4391 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4392 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4397 @kindex G P (Summary)
4398 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4399 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4402 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4403 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4404 Go to the next article with the same subject
4405 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4408 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4409 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4410 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4411 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4415 @kindex G f (Summary)
4417 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4418 Go to the first unread article
4419 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4423 @kindex G b (Summary)
4425 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4426 Go to the article with the highest score
4427 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4432 @kindex G l (Summary)
4433 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4434 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4437 @kindex G o (Summary)
4438 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4440 @cindex article history
4441 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4442 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4443 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4444 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4445 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4446 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4451 @kindex G j (Summary)
4452 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4453 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4454 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4459 @node Choosing Variables
4460 @subsection Choosing Variables
4462 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4465 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4466 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4467 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4468 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4469 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4470 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4472 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4473 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4474 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4475 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4477 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4478 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4479 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4480 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4481 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4482 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4483 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4484 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4485 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4486 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4487 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4488 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4489 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4490 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4495 @node Paging the Article
4496 @section Scrolling the Article
4497 @cindex article scrolling
4502 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4503 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4504 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4505 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4506 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4509 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4510 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4511 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4514 @kindex RET (Summary)
4515 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4516 Scroll the current article one line forward
4517 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4520 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4521 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4522 Scroll the current article one line backward
4523 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4527 @kindex A g (Summary)
4529 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4530 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4531 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4532 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4533 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4534 the way it came from the server.
4536 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4537 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4538 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4541 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4546 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4551 @kindex A < (Summary)
4552 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4553 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4554 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4559 @kindex A > (Summary)
4560 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4561 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4565 @kindex A s (Summary)
4567 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4568 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4569 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4573 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4574 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4579 @node Reply Followup and Post
4580 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4583 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4584 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4585 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4586 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4590 @node Summary Mail Commands
4591 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4593 @cindex composing mail
4595 Commands for composing a mail message:
4601 @kindex S r (Summary)
4603 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4604 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4605 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4606 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4607 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4612 @kindex S R (Summary)
4613 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4615 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4616 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4617 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4620 @kindex S w (Summary)
4621 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4622 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4623 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4624 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4625 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4628 @kindex S W (Summary)
4629 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4630 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4631 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4632 the process/prefix convention.
4635 @kindex S v (Summary)
4636 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4637 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4638 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4639 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4640 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4641 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4644 @kindex S W (Summary)
4645 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4646 Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
4647 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4648 the process/prefix convention.
4652 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4653 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4654 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4655 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4656 Forward the current article to some other person
4657 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4658 headers of the forwarded article.
4663 @kindex S m (Summary)
4664 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4665 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4666 Send a mail to some other person
4667 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4670 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4671 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4672 @cindex bouncing mail
4673 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4674 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4675 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4676 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4677 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4678 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4679 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4680 very well fail, though.
4683 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4684 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4685 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4686 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4687 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4688 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4689 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4690 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4691 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4692 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4694 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4695 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4696 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4697 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4698 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4700 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4701 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4704 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4705 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
4706 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4707 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
4708 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4711 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4712 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4713 @cindex crossposting
4714 @cindex excessive crossposting
4715 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4716 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4718 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4719 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4720 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4721 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4722 command understands the process/prefix convention
4723 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4727 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4730 @node Summary Post Commands
4731 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4733 @cindex composing news
4735 Commands for posting a news article:
4741 @kindex S p (Summary)
4742 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4743 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4744 Post an article to the current group
4745 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4750 @kindex S f (Summary)
4751 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4752 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4753 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4757 @kindex S F (Summary)
4759 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4760 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4761 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4762 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4763 process/prefix convention.
4766 @kindex S n (Summary)
4767 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4768 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4769 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4772 @kindex S N (Summary)
4773 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4774 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4775 message through mail and include the original message
4776 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4777 the process/prefix convention.
4780 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4781 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4782 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4783 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4784 headers of the forwarded article.
4787 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4788 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
4790 @cindex making digests
4791 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4792 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
4793 process/prefix convention.
4796 @kindex S u (Summary)
4797 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4798 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4799 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4800 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4803 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4806 @node Summary Message Commands
4807 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4811 @kindex S y (Summary)
4812 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4813 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4814 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4815 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4816 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4821 @node Canceling and Superseding
4822 @subsection Canceling Articles
4823 @cindex canceling articles
4824 @cindex superseding articles
4826 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4827 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4829 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4831 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4833 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4834 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4835 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4836 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4837 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4838 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4840 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4841 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4844 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4845 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4846 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4848 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4849 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4850 your original article.
4852 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4854 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4855 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4856 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4859 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4860 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4861 have posted almost the same article twice.
4863 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4864 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4865 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4866 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4867 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4868 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4869 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4870 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4871 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4872 canceled/superseded.
4874 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4877 @node Marking Articles
4878 @section Marking Articles
4879 @cindex article marking
4880 @cindex article ticking
4883 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4885 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4886 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4887 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4889 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4892 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4893 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4894 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4898 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4902 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4903 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4904 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4908 @node Unread Articles
4909 @subsection Unread Articles
4911 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4916 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4917 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4919 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4920 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4921 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4922 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
4923 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
4924 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
4925 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
4928 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4929 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4931 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4932 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4933 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4934 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
4938 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4939 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4941 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4946 @subsection Read Articles
4947 @cindex expirable mark
4949 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4954 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4955 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4956 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4959 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4960 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4963 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4964 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4965 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4968 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4969 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4972 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4973 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4976 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4977 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4980 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4981 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4984 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4985 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4988 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4989 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4992 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4993 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4997 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4998 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4999 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5003 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5004 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5006 One more special mark, though:
5010 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5011 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5013 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5014 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5015 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5016 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5022 @subsection Other Marks
5023 @cindex process mark
5026 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5032 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5033 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5034 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5035 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5036 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5039 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5040 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5041 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5042 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5044 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5045 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
5046 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5049 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5050 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5051 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5054 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5055 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5056 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5057 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5060 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5061 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5062 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5063 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5064 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5067 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5068 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5069 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5070 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5071 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5072 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5076 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5077 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5078 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5080 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5081 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5082 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5086 @subsection Setting Marks
5087 @cindex setting marks
5089 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5094 @kindex M c (Summary)
5095 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5096 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5097 @cindex mark as unread
5098 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5099 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5105 @kindex M t (Summary)
5106 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5107 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5108 @xref{Article Caching}.
5113 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5114 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5115 Mark the current article as dormant
5116 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5120 @kindex M d (Summary)
5122 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5123 Mark the current article as read
5124 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5128 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5129 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5130 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5135 @kindex M k (Summary)
5136 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5137 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5138 and then select the next unread article
5139 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5143 @kindex M K (Summary)
5144 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5145 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5146 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5147 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5150 @kindex M C (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5152 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5153 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5156 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5157 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5158 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5159 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5162 @kindex M H (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5164 Catchup the current group to point
5165 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5168 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5169 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5170 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5174 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5175 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5176 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5177 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5181 @kindex M e (Summary)
5183 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5184 Mark the current article as expirable
5185 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5188 @kindex M b (Summary)
5189 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5190 Set a bookmark in the current article
5191 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5194 @kindex M B (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5196 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5197 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5200 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5202 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5203 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5206 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5207 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5208 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5209 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5212 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5213 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5214 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5215 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5216 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5219 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5220 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5221 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5222 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5223 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5224 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5225 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5226 The default is @code{t}.
5229 @node Generic Marking Commands
5230 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5232 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5233 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5234 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5235 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5236 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5239 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5240 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5243 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5244 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5245 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5246 to list in this manual.
5248 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5249 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5250 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5251 article, you could say something like:
5254 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5255 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5256 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5262 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5263 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5267 @node Setting Process Marks
5268 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5269 @cindex setting process marks
5276 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5277 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5278 Mark the current article with the process mark
5279 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5280 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5284 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5285 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5286 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5287 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5290 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5292 Remove the process mark from all articles
5293 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5296 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5298 Invert the list of process marked articles
5299 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5302 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5303 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5304 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5305 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5308 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5309 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5310 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5311 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5314 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5315 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5316 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5319 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5321 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5322 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5325 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5326 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5327 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5328 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5331 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5332 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5333 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5334 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5337 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5338 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5339 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5342 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5343 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5344 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5345 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5348 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5350 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5353 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5355 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5356 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5359 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5360 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5361 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5362 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5365 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5367 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5368 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5371 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5372 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5373 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5374 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5378 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5379 set process marks based on article body contents.
5386 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5387 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5388 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5391 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5392 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5393 additional articles.
5399 @kindex / / (Summary)
5400 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5401 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5402 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5405 @kindex / a (Summary)
5406 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5407 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5408 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5411 @kindex / x (Summary)
5412 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5413 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5414 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5415 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5419 @kindex / u (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5422 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5423 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5424 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5425 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5428 @kindex / m (Summary)
5429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5430 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5431 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5434 @kindex / t (Summary)
5435 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5436 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5437 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5438 articles younger than that number of days.
5441 @kindex / n (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5443 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5445 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5448 @kindex / w (Summary)
5449 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5450 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5451 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5455 @kindex / v (Summary)
5456 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5457 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5458 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5462 @kindex M S (Summary)
5463 @kindex / E (Summary)
5464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5465 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5466 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5469 @kindex / D (Summary)
5470 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5471 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5472 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5475 @kindex / * (Summary)
5476 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5477 Include all cached articles in the limit
5478 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5481 @kindex / d (Summary)
5482 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5483 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5484 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5487 @kindex / M (Summary)
5488 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5489 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5492 @kindex / T (Summary)
5493 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5494 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5497 @kindex / c (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5499 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5500 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5503 @kindex / C (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5505 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5506 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5507 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5515 @cindex article threading
5517 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5518 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5519 hierarchical fashion.
5521 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5522 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5523 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5524 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5525 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5526 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5527 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5529 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5533 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5536 A tree-like article structure.
5539 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5542 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5543 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5544 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5545 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5546 called loose threads.
5548 @item thread gathering
5549 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5551 @item sparse threads
5552 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5553 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5559 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5560 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5564 @node Customizing Threading
5565 @subsection Customizing Threading
5566 @cindex customizing threading
5569 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5570 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5571 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5572 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5577 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5580 @cindex loose threads
5583 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5584 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5585 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5586 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5587 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5588 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5590 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
5591 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
5592 There are four possible values:
5596 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5597 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5598 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5599 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5600 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5605 @cindex adopting articles
5610 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5611 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5612 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5613 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5616 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5617 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5618 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5619 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5620 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5621 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5622 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5625 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5626 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5627 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5631 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5632 display them after one another.
5635 Don't gather loose threads.
5638 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5639 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5640 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5641 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
5642 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5643 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5644 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5645 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5646 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5647 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
5648 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5650 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5651 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
5652 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5655 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5656 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5657 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5658 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5659 simplification is used.
5661 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5662 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5663 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5664 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5666 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5668 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5674 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5675 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5676 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5677 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5682 (mapconcat 'identity
5683 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5685 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5688 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5691 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5692 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5693 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5694 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5695 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5696 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5698 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5701 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5702 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5703 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5705 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5706 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5709 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5710 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5711 Remove excessive whitespace.
5714 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5717 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5718 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5719 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5720 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5721 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5722 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5723 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5724 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5726 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5727 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5728 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5729 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5730 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5731 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5732 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5733 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5734 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5738 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5739 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5740 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5741 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5743 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5744 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5745 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5748 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5752 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5753 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5759 @node Filling In Threads
5760 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5763 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5764 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5765 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5766 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5767 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5768 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5769 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5770 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5771 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5772 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5773 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5774 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5776 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5777 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5778 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5780 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5781 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5782 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5783 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5784 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5785 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5786 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5787 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5788 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5789 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5790 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5791 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5792 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5793 @code{nil} by default.
5798 @node More Threading
5799 @subsubsection More Threading
5802 @item gnus-show-threads
5803 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5804 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5805 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5806 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5807 slower and more awkward.
5809 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5810 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5811 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5814 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5815 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5816 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5817 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5818 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5819 threads are expunged.
5821 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5822 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5823 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5826 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5827 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5828 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5829 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
5830 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
5831 result in a new thread.
5833 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5834 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5835 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5838 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5839 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5840 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5841 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5842 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5843 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5844 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5845 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5846 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5847 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5848 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5853 @node Low-Level Threading
5854 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5858 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5859 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5860 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5861 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5862 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5863 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5865 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5866 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5867 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5868 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5869 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5870 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5871 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5872 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5873 meaningful. Here's one example:
5876 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5878 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5879 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5881 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5883 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5890 @node Thread Commands
5891 @subsection Thread Commands
5892 @cindex thread commands
5898 @kindex T k (Summary)
5899 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5900 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5901 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5902 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5903 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5908 @kindex T l (Summary)
5909 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5910 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5911 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5912 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5915 @kindex T i (Summary)
5916 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5917 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5918 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5921 @kindex T # (Summary)
5922 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5923 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5924 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5927 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5929 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5930 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5933 @kindex T T (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5935 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5938 @kindex T s (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5940 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5941 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5944 @kindex T h (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5946 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5949 @kindex T S (Summary)
5950 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5951 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5954 @kindex T H (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5956 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5959 @kindex T t (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5961 Re-thread the current article's thread
5962 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5963 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5966 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5968 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5969 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5973 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5974 understand the numeric prefix.
5979 @kindex T n (Summary)
5981 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
5983 @kindex M-down (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5985 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5988 @kindex T p (Summary)
5990 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
5992 @kindex M-up (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5994 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5997 @kindex T d (Summary)
5998 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5999 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6002 @kindex T u (Summary)
6003 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6004 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6007 @kindex T o (Summary)
6008 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6009 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6012 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6013 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6014 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6015 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6016 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6017 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6018 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6019 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6020 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6021 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6022 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6023 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6027 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6028 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6030 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6031 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6032 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6033 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6034 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6035 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6036 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6037 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6038 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6039 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6040 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6042 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6043 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6044 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6045 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6046 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6048 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6049 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6050 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6052 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6053 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6054 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6055 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6056 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6057 ascending article order.
6059 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6060 by number, you could do something like:
6063 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6064 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6065 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6066 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6069 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6070 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6071 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6072 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6073 which the articles arrived.
6075 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6079 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6081 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6082 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6085 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6086 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6087 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6088 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6091 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6092 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6093 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6094 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6095 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6096 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6097 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6098 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6099 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6100 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6101 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6102 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6103 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6105 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6109 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6110 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6111 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6116 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6117 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6118 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6119 @cindex article pre-fetch
6122 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6123 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6124 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6125 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6126 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6128 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6129 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6131 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6132 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6133 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6134 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6135 connection is blocked.
6137 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6138 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6139 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6140 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6142 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6143 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6144 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6145 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6148 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6151 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6152 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6153 happen automatically.
6155 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6156 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6157 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6158 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6159 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6160 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6161 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6163 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6164 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6165 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6166 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6167 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6168 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6169 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6170 data structure as the only parameter.
6172 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6175 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6176 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6177 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6178 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6181 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6184 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6185 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6186 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6188 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6189 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6190 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6191 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6195 Remove articles when they are read.
6198 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6201 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6203 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6204 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6205 @c from the next group.
6208 @node Article Caching
6209 @section Article Caching
6210 @cindex article caching
6213 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6214 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6215 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6216 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6217 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6219 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6221 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6222 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6223 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6224 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6225 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6226 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6227 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6228 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6230 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6231 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6232 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6233 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6234 as dormant, and don't worry.
6236 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6238 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6239 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6240 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6241 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6242 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6243 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6244 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6245 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6246 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6247 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6249 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6250 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6251 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6252 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6253 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6254 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6255 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6256 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6257 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6258 not then be downloaded by this command.
6260 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6261 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6262 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6263 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6264 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6265 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6267 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6268 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6269 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6270 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6271 variables, the group is not cached.
6273 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6274 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6275 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6276 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6277 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6278 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6279 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6280 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6281 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6285 @node Persistent Articles
6286 @section Persistent Articles
6287 @cindex persistent articles
6289 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6290 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6291 useful in my opinion.
6293 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6294 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6295 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6296 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6297 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6298 the expiry going on at the news server.
6300 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6301 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6302 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6308 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6309 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6312 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6314 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6315 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6319 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6321 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6322 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6323 interested in persistent articles:
6326 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6330 @node Article Backlog
6331 @section Article Backlog
6333 @cindex article backlog
6335 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6336 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6337 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6338 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6339 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6340 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6341 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6342 increase memory usage some.
6344 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6345 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6346 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6347 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6348 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6349 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6350 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6352 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6355 @node Saving Articles
6356 @section Saving Articles
6357 @cindex saving articles
6359 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6360 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6361 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6362 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6363 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6365 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6366 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6367 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6369 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6370 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6371 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6372 deleted before saving.
6378 @kindex O o (Summary)
6380 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6381 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6382 Save the current article using the default article saver
6383 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6386 @kindex O m (Summary)
6387 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6388 Save the current article in mail format
6389 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6392 @kindex O r (Summary)
6393 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6394 Save the current article in rmail format
6395 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6398 @kindex O f (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6400 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6401 Save the current article in plain file format
6402 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6405 @kindex O F (Summary)
6406 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6407 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6408 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6411 @kindex O b (Summary)
6412 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6413 Save the current article body in plain file format
6414 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6417 @kindex O h (Summary)
6418 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6419 Save the current article in mh folder format
6420 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6423 @kindex O v (Summary)
6424 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6425 Save the current article in a VM folder
6426 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6429 @kindex O p (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6431 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6432 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6435 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6436 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6437 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6438 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6439 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6440 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6441 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6442 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6443 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6444 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6445 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6446 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6450 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6451 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6452 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6453 functions below, or you can create your own.
6457 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6458 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6459 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6460 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6461 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6462 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6463 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6465 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6466 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6467 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6468 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6469 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6470 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6472 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6473 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6474 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6475 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6476 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6477 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6478 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6480 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6481 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6482 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6483 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6484 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6486 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6487 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6488 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6489 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6490 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6493 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6494 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6495 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6496 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6497 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6499 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6500 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6501 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6502 reader to use this setting.
6505 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6506 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6507 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6508 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6511 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6512 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6513 available functions that generate names:
6517 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6518 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6519 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6521 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6522 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6523 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6525 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6526 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6527 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6529 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6530 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6531 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6533 @item gnus-sender-save-name
6534 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
6535 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
6538 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6539 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6540 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6541 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6542 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6546 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6547 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6548 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6549 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6552 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6553 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6554 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6555 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6556 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6557 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6558 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6559 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6560 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6562 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6563 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6564 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6565 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6567 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6568 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6569 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6572 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6573 lots of mail groups called things like
6574 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6575 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6576 following will do just that:
6579 (defun my-save-name (group)
6580 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6581 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6583 (setq gnus-split-methods
6584 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6589 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6590 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6591 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6592 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6593 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6594 all the files in the top level directory
6595 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6596 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6597 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6598 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6600 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6601 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6602 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6603 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6604 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6607 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6611 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6612 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6615 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6616 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6617 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6618 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6621 @node Decoding Articles
6622 @section Decoding Articles
6623 @cindex decoding articles
6625 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6626 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6629 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6630 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6631 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6632 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6633 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6634 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6638 @cindex article series
6639 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6640 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6641 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6642 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6643 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6645 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6646 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6647 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6649 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
6650 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6651 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6653 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6654 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6655 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6658 @node Uuencoded Articles
6659 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6661 @cindex uuencoded articles
6666 @kindex X u (Summary)
6667 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6668 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6669 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6672 @kindex X U (Summary)
6673 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6674 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6675 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6678 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6679 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6680 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6683 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6684 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6685 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6686 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6690 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6691 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6692 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6693 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6694 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6696 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6697 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6698 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6699 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6702 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6703 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6704 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6705 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6706 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6707 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6711 @node Shell Archives
6712 @subsection Shell Archives
6714 @cindex shell archives
6715 @cindex shared articles
6717 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6718 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6719 some commands to deal with these:
6724 @kindex X s (Summary)
6725 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6726 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6729 @kindex X S (Summary)
6730 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6731 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6734 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6735 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6736 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6739 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6740 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6741 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6742 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6746 @node PostScript Files
6747 @subsection PostScript Files
6753 @kindex X p (Summary)
6754 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6755 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6758 @kindex X P (Summary)
6759 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6760 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6761 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6764 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6765 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6766 View the current PostScript series
6767 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6770 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6771 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6772 View and save the current PostScript series
6773 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6778 @subsection Other Files
6782 @kindex X o (Summary)
6783 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6784 Save the current series
6785 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6788 @kindex X b (Summary)
6789 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6790 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6791 doesn't really work yet.
6795 @node Decoding Variables
6796 @subsection Decoding Variables
6798 Adjective, not verb.
6801 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6802 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6803 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6807 @node Rule Variables
6808 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6809 @cindex rule variables
6811 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6812 variables are of the form
6815 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6822 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6823 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6825 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6826 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6829 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6830 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6833 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6834 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6835 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6836 user and default view rules.
6838 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6839 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6840 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6845 @node Other Decode Variables
6846 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6849 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6851 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6852 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6853 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6854 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6855 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6859 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6860 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6863 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6864 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6865 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6868 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6869 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6870 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6871 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6872 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6875 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6876 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6877 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6879 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6880 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6881 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6882 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6883 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6886 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6887 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6888 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6890 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6891 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6892 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6893 looking for files to display.
6895 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6896 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6897 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6900 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6901 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6902 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6905 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6906 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6907 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6910 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6911 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6912 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6915 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6916 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6917 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6918 decoded articles as unread.
6920 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6921 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6922 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6923 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6925 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6926 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6927 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6929 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6930 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6932 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6933 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6934 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6935 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6937 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6938 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6939 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6940 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6941 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6942 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6943 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6944 simply dropped them.
6949 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6950 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6954 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6955 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6956 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6957 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6958 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6959 for you when you post the article.
6961 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6962 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6963 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6964 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6966 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6967 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6968 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6969 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6970 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6971 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6972 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6974 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6975 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6976 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6977 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6978 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6979 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6980 Default is @code{t}.
6986 @subsection Viewing Files
6987 @cindex viewing files
6988 @cindex pseudo-articles
6990 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
6991 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6992 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6993 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
6994 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6995 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6996 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6998 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6999 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7000 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7001 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7003 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7004 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7005 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7007 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7008 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7009 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7010 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7011 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7013 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7014 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7015 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7016 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7017 a list of parameters to that command.
7019 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7020 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7021 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7023 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7024 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7025 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7028 @node Article Treatment
7029 @section Article Treatment
7031 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7032 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7033 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7034 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7035 these articles easier.
7038 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7039 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7040 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7041 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7042 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7043 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7044 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7045 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7049 @node Article Highlighting
7050 @subsection Article Highlighting
7051 @cindex highlighting
7053 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7054 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7059 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7060 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7061 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7062 Do much highlighting of the current article
7063 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7064 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7067 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7068 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7069 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7070 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7071 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7072 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7073 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7074 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7075 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7076 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7077 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7078 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7081 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7082 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7083 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7085 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7088 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7090 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7091 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7092 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7094 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7095 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7096 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7098 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7099 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7100 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7101 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7102 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7103 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7105 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7106 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7107 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7109 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7110 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7111 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7113 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7114 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7115 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7116 that it's a citation.
7118 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7119 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7120 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7122 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7123 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7124 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7126 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7127 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7128 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7129 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7135 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7136 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7137 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7138 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7139 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7140 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7141 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7142 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7147 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7150 @node Article Fontisizing
7151 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7153 @cindex article emphasis
7155 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7156 @kindex W e (Summary)
7157 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7158 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7159 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7160 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7162 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7163 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7164 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7165 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7166 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7167 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7168 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7169 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7173 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7174 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7175 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7184 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7185 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7186 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7187 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7188 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7189 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7190 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7191 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7192 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7193 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7194 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7195 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7196 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7198 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7199 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7200 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7204 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7207 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7209 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7210 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7211 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7212 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7214 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7217 @node Article Hiding
7218 @subsection Article Hiding
7219 @cindex article hiding
7221 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7222 too much cruft in most articles.
7227 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-article-hide
7229 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7230 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7231 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7234 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7235 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7236 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7240 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7241 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7242 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7243 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7246 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7247 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7248 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7252 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7254 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7255 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7256 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7257 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7258 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7259 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7263 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7264 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7265 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7266 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7271 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7272 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7273 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7274 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7275 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7276 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7277 articles that have signatures in them do:
7279 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7281 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7283 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7284 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7286 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7289 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7294 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7295 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7296 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7297 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7300 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7301 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7304 @cindex stripping advertisements
7305 @cindex advertisements
7306 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7307 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7308 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7309 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7310 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7311 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7312 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7313 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7314 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7315 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7319 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7320 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7321 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7322 customizing the hiding:
7326 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7327 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7328 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7329 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7330 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7331 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7332 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7337 Starting point of the hidden text.
7339 Ending point of the hidden text.
7341 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7343 Number of lines of hidden text.
7346 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7347 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7348 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7349 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7350 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7355 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7356 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7358 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7359 following two variables:
7362 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7363 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7364 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7365 50), hide the cited text.
7367 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7368 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7369 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7374 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7375 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7376 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7377 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7378 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7379 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7383 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7384 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7385 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7387 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7388 citation customization.
7390 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7394 @node Article Washing
7395 @subsection Article Washing
7397 @cindex article washing
7399 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7400 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7402 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7403 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7406 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7407 articles by default.
7412 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7413 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7417 @kindex W l (Summary)
7418 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7419 Remove page breaks from the current article
7420 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7424 @kindex W r (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7426 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7427 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7428 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7429 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7430 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7432 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7433 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7434 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7435 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7439 @kindex W t (Summary)
7441 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7442 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7443 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
7446 @kindex W v (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7448 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7449 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7452 @kindex W m (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
7454 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
7455 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
7458 @kindex W o (Summary)
7459 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7460 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7463 @kindex W d (Summary)
7464 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7465 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7467 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7469 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7470 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7471 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7472 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7475 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7476 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7477 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7478 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7481 @kindex W w (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7483 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7485 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7489 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7490 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7491 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7494 @kindex W C (Summary)
7495 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7496 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7497 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7500 @kindex W c (Summary)
7501 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7502 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7503 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7504 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7505 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7508 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7509 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7510 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7511 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7512 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7513 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7514 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7518 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7519 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7520 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7521 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7522 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7525 @kindex W h (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7527 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7528 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7529 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7533 @kindex W f (Summary)
7535 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7536 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7537 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7538 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7545 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7546 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7547 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7548 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7549 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7550 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7551 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7552 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7553 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7554 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7555 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7556 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7557 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7558 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7559 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7560 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7561 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7562 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7563 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7564 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7568 @kindex W b (Summary)
7569 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7570 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7571 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7574 @kindex W B (Summary)
7575 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7576 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7577 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7580 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7581 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7582 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7583 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7586 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7587 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7588 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7589 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7592 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7593 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7594 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7595 lines with a single empty line.
7596 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7599 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7600 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7601 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7602 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7605 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7606 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7607 Do all the three commands above
7608 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7611 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7612 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7613 Remove all blank lines
7614 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7617 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7618 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7619 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7620 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7623 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7624 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7625 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7626 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7630 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7633 @node Article Buttons
7634 @subsection Article Buttons
7637 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7638 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7639 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7640 button on these references.
7642 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7643 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7644 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7649 @item gnus-button-alist
7650 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7651 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7654 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7660 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7661 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7662 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7665 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7666 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7667 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7670 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7671 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7672 avoid false matches.
7675 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7678 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7679 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7683 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7686 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7689 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7690 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7691 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7692 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7693 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7696 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7699 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7701 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7702 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7703 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7704 default values of the variables above.
7706 @item gnus-article-button-face
7707 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7708 Face used on buttons.
7710 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7711 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7712 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7716 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7720 @subsection Article Date
7722 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7723 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7724 when the article was sent.
7729 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7730 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7731 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7732 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7735 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7736 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7738 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7739 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7742 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7743 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7744 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7747 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7748 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7749 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7750 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7753 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7754 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7755 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7756 @findex format-time-string
7757 Display the date using a user-defined format
7758 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7759 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7760 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7761 for a list of possible format specs.
7764 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7765 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7766 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7767 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7768 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7769 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7772 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7775 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7776 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7779 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7780 into wonderful absurdities.
7782 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7785 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7788 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7789 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7793 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7794 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7795 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7796 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7797 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7798 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7799 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7803 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7804 preferred format automatically.
7807 @node Article Signature
7808 @subsection Article Signature
7810 @cindex article signature
7812 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7813 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7814 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7815 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7816 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7817 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7818 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7819 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7820 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7823 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7824 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7825 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7826 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7827 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7828 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7829 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7830 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7833 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7836 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7837 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7838 signature when displaying articles.
7842 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7845 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7848 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7849 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7851 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7852 in question is not a signature.
7855 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7856 listed above. Here's an example:
7859 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7860 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7863 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7864 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7865 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7866 signature after all.
7869 @node Article Miscellania
7870 @subsection Article Miscellania
7874 @kindex A t (Summary)
7875 @findex gnus-article-babel
7876 Translate the article from one language to another
7877 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7883 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7884 @cindex MIME decoding
7886 @cindex viewing attachments
7888 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7889 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7895 @kindex K v (Summary)
7896 View the @sc{mime} part.
7899 @kindex K o (Summary)
7900 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7903 @kindex K c (Summary)
7904 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7907 @kindex K e (Summary)
7908 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7911 @kindex K i (Summary)
7912 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7915 @kindex K | (Summary)
7916 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7919 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7924 @kindex K b (Summary)
7925 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7926 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7930 @kindex K m (Summary)
7931 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7932 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7933 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7934 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7935 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7938 @kindex X m (Summary)
7939 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7940 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7941 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7942 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7945 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7946 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7947 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7948 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7951 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7952 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7953 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7956 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7957 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7958 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7960 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7961 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7962 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7963 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7964 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7965 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7968 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7969 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7970 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7977 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7978 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7979 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7980 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7983 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7986 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7990 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7991 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7992 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7993 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7994 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7996 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7997 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7998 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7999 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8000 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8001 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8002 save all jpegs into some directory).
8004 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8007 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8008 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8010 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8011 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8012 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8013 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8014 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8017 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8018 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8019 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8028 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8029 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8030 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8031 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8032 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8033 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8034 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8036 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8037 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8038 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match full group names) and
8039 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8041 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8042 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
8043 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8044 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8045 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
8046 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8047 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
8048 something some agents insist on having in there.
8050 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8051 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8052 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8053 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8054 quoted-printable header encoding.
8056 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8057 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8058 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8062 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8065 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8066 means encode all charsets),
8068 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8069 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8070 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8077 @cindex coding system aliases
8078 @cindex preferred charset
8080 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8082 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8083 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8086 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8087 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8090 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8091 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8093 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8096 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8099 This will almost do the right thing.
8101 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8105 (codepage-setup 1251)
8106 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8110 @node Article Commands
8111 @section Article Commands
8118 @kindex A P (Summary)
8119 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8120 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8121 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8122 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8123 run just before printing the buffer.
8128 @node Summary Sorting
8129 @section Summary Sorting
8130 @cindex summary sorting
8132 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8133 can't really see why you'd want that.
8138 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8140 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8143 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8144 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8145 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8148 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8150 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8153 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8154 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8155 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8158 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8159 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8160 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8163 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8164 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8165 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8168 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8170 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8173 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8174 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8175 Sort using the default sorting method
8176 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8179 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8180 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8181 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8182 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8183 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8187 @node Finding the Parent
8188 @section Finding the Parent
8189 @cindex parent articles
8190 @cindex referring articles
8195 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8196 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8197 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8198 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8199 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8200 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8201 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8202 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8203 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8205 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8206 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8207 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8208 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8209 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8213 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8214 @kindex A R (Summary)
8215 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8216 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8219 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8220 @kindex A T (Summary)
8221 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8222 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8223 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8224 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8225 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8226 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8227 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8229 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8230 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8231 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8232 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8233 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8234 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8237 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8238 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8240 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8241 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8242 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8243 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8244 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8245 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8246 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8249 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8250 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8251 by giving this command a prefix.
8253 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8254 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8255 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8256 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8257 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8258 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8261 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8262 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8263 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8266 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8267 then ask Deja if that fails:
8270 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8272 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8275 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8276 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8277 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8278 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8279 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8280 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8283 @node Alternative Approaches
8284 @section Alternative Approaches
8286 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8287 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8290 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8291 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8296 @subsection Pick and Read
8297 @cindex pick and read
8299 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8300 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8301 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8302 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8304 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8305 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8306 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8307 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8308 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8309 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8311 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8316 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8317 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8318 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8319 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8320 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8321 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8322 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8323 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8326 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8327 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8328 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8329 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8333 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8334 Unpick the thread or article
8335 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8336 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8337 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8338 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8339 the thread or article at that line.
8343 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8344 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8345 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8346 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8347 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8348 will still be visible when you are reading.
8352 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8353 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8354 which is mapped to the same function
8355 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8357 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8360 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8363 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8364 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8366 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8367 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8368 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8370 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8371 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8372 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8373 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8374 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8375 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8376 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8380 @subsection Binary Groups
8381 @cindex binary groups
8383 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8384 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8385 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8386 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8387 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8388 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8389 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8392 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8393 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8394 command, when you have turned on this mode
8395 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8397 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8398 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8402 @section Tree Display
8405 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8406 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
8407 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8408 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8411 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8414 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8415 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8416 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8418 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8419 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8420 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8421 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8422 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8424 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8425 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8426 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8427 default is @code{modeline}.
8429 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8430 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8431 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8432 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8433 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8434 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8435 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8441 The name of the poster.
8443 The @code{From} header.
8445 The number of the article.
8447 The opening bracket.
8449 The closing bracket.
8454 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8456 Variables related to the display are:
8459 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8460 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8461 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8462 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8463 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8464 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8466 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8467 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8468 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8469 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8473 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8474 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8475 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
8476 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
8477 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8478 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8479 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8480 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8481 other windows displayed next to it.
8483 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8484 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8485 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8486 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8487 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8488 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8489 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8493 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8496 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8506 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8510 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8511 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8513 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8515 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8520 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8521 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8522 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8525 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8526 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8527 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8528 (gnus-add-configuration
8532 (summary 0.75 point)
8537 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8540 @node Mail Group Commands
8541 @section Mail Group Commands
8542 @cindex mail group commands
8544 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8545 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8547 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8548 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8553 @kindex B e (Summary)
8554 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8555 Expire all expirable articles in the group
8556 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
8559 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8560 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8561 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8562 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8563 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8564 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8567 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8568 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8569 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8570 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8571 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8572 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8575 @kindex B m (Summary)
8577 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8578 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8579 Move the article from one mail group to another
8580 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8581 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8584 @kindex B c (Summary)
8586 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8587 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8588 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8589 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8590 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8593 @kindex B B (Summary)
8594 @cindex crosspost mail
8595 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8596 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8597 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8598 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8599 be properly updated.
8602 @kindex B i (Summary)
8603 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8604 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8605 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8606 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8609 @kindex B r (Summary)
8610 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8611 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8612 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8613 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8614 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8615 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8616 (which is the default).
8620 @kindex B w (Summary)
8622 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8623 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8624 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8625 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8626 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8627 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8630 @kindex B q (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8632 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8633 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8634 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8637 @kindex B t (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8639 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8640 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8643 @kindex B p (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8645 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8646 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8647 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8648 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8649 article from your news server (or rather, from
8650 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8651 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8652 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8653 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8654 just not have arrived yet.
8658 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8659 @cindex moving articles
8660 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
8661 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8662 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8663 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8664 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8665 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8666 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8669 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8670 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8671 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8672 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8676 @node Various Summary Stuff
8677 @section Various Summary Stuff
8680 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8681 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8682 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8683 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8687 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8688 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8689 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8691 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8692 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8693 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8694 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8695 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8696 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8699 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8700 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8701 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8702 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8703 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8705 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8706 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8707 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8710 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8711 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8712 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8713 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8714 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8715 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8716 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
8717 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8718 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8719 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8721 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8722 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8723 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8724 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8725 list of articles to be selected.
8727 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8728 the list in one particular group:
8731 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8732 (if (string= group "some.group")
8733 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8740 @node Summary Group Information
8741 @subsection Summary Group Information
8746 @kindex H f (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8748 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8749 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8750 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8751 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8752 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8753 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8754 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8755 be used for fetching the file.
8758 @kindex H d (Summary)
8759 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8760 Give a brief description of the current group
8761 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8762 rereading the description from the server.
8765 @kindex H h (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8767 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8768 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8771 @kindex H i (Summary)
8772 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8773 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8777 @node Searching for Articles
8778 @subsection Searching for Articles
8783 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8784 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8785 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8786 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8789 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8790 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8791 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8792 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8796 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8797 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8798 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8799 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8800 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8801 search backward instead.
8803 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8804 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8807 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8808 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8809 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8810 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8813 @node Summary Generation Commands
8814 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8819 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8821 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8824 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8825 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8826 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8827 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8832 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8833 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8839 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8840 @kindex A D (Summary)
8841 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8842 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8843 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8844 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8845 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8846 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8847 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8848 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8852 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8853 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8854 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8855 several documents into one biiig group
8856 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8857 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8858 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8859 command understands the process/prefix convention
8860 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8863 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8864 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8865 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8866 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8867 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8868 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8872 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8873 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8874 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8877 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8878 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8879 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8880 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8883 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8884 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8885 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8886 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8891 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8892 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8893 @cindex summary exit
8894 @cindex exiting groups
8896 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8897 group and return you to the group buffer.
8903 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8905 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8906 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8907 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8908 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8909 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8910 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8911 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8912 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8913 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8914 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8915 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8919 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8922 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8923 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8927 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8929 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8930 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8931 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8932 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8935 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8936 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8937 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8938 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8941 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8942 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8943 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8944 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8947 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8949 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8950 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8951 all articles, both read and unread.
8955 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8956 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8957 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8958 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8959 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8960 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8961 articles, both read and unread.
8964 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8965 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8966 Exit the group and go to the next group
8967 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8970 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8971 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8972 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8973 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8976 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8977 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8978 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8979 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8980 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8981 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8984 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8985 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
8986 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
8987 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
8989 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8990 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8991 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8992 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8993 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8994 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8995 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8996 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8997 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8998 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8999 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9000 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9002 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9004 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9005 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9006 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9007 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9008 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9009 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9010 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9011 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9012 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9015 @node Crosspost Handling
9016 @section Crosspost Handling
9020 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9021 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9022 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9023 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9024 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9025 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9028 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9029 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9030 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9031 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9032 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9034 @cindex cross-posting
9037 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9038 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9039 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9040 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9041 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9042 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9043 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9044 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9045 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9046 the cross reference mechanism.
9048 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9049 @cindex overview.fmt
9050 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9051 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9052 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9053 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9054 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9055 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9058 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9059 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9060 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9065 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9068 @node Duplicate Suppression
9069 @section Duplicate Suppression
9071 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9072 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9073 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9074 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9079 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9080 is evil and not very common.
9083 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9084 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9087 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9088 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9091 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9094 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9095 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9097 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9098 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9099 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9100 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9101 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9102 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9103 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9106 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9107 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9108 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9109 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9110 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9114 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9115 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9116 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9118 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9119 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9120 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9121 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9122 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9123 session are suppressed.
9125 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9126 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9127 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9128 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9130 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9131 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9132 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9133 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9136 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9137 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9138 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9139 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9140 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9141 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9142 to you to figure out, I think.
9147 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9152 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9158 @item mm-verify-option
9159 @vindex mm-verify-option
9160 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9161 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9162 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9164 @item mm-decrypt-option
9165 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9166 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9167 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9168 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9172 @node Article Buffer
9173 @chapter Article Buffer
9174 @cindex article buffer
9176 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9177 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9178 tell gnus otherwise.
9181 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9182 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9183 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9184 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9185 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9189 @node Hiding Headers
9190 @section Hiding Headers
9191 @cindex hiding headers
9192 @cindex deleting headers
9194 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9195 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9197 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9198 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9199 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9200 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9201 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9202 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9203 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9204 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9205 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9207 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9211 @item gnus-visible-headers
9212 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9213 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9214 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9215 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9217 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9218 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9221 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9224 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9227 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9228 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9229 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9230 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9231 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9232 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9234 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9235 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
9238 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9241 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9244 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9245 variable will have no effect.
9249 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9250 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9251 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9252 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9253 the headers are to be displayed.
9255 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9256 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9259 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9262 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9263 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9265 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9266 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9267 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9268 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9269 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9270 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9271 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9274 These conditions are:
9277 Remove all empty headers.
9279 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9280 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9282 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9285 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9288 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9289 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9291 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9294 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9296 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9299 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9302 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9303 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9306 This is also the default value for this variable.
9310 @section Using @sc{mime}
9313 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9314 while people stand around yawning.
9316 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9317 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9319 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9320 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9321 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9323 @vindex gnus-show-mime
9324 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
9325 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
9326 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
9327 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
9328 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
9329 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
9330 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
9331 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
9332 existed yet, sorry).
9334 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
9335 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
9336 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
9337 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
9338 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
9339 buffer. These can't be avoided.
9341 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
9342 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
9343 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
9344 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
9345 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
9346 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
9347 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
9348 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
9349 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
9352 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9354 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
9355 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
9356 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
9357 buffer when there are nobody else.
9359 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9362 @node Customizing Articles
9363 @section Customizing Articles
9364 @cindex article customization
9366 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9367 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9368 called automatically when you select the articles.
9370 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9371 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9372 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9373 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9375 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9376 for sensible values.
9380 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9383 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9386 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9389 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9392 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9396 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9397 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9398 regexps in the list.
9401 A list where the first element is not a string:
9403 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9404 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9405 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9409 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9413 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
9418 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9419 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9420 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9421 considered to contain just a single part.
9423 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9424 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9425 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9426 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9427 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9428 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9429 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9431 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9432 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9433 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9434 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9437 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9438 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9439 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9440 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9441 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9442 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9443 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9444 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9445 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9446 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9447 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9448 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9449 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9450 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9451 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9452 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9453 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9454 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9455 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9456 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9457 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9458 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9459 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9460 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9461 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9462 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9463 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9464 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9465 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9466 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9467 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9468 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9469 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9470 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9471 @item gnus-treat-translate
9472 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
9475 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9476 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9477 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9478 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9479 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9483 @node Article Keymap
9484 @section Article Keymap
9486 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9487 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9488 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9489 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9492 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9497 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9498 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9499 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9502 @kindex DEL (Article)
9503 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9504 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9507 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9508 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9509 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9510 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9511 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9514 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9515 @findex gnus-article-mail
9516 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9517 given a prefix, include the mail.
9521 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9522 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9523 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9527 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9528 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9529 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9532 @kindex TAB (Article)
9533 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9534 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9535 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9538 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9539 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9540 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9546 @section Misc Article
9550 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9551 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9552 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9553 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9556 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9557 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9559 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9560 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9562 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9563 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9564 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9565 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9566 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9567 the contents of the article buffer.
9569 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9570 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9571 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9573 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9574 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9575 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9576 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9578 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9579 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9580 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9581 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9582 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9587 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9588 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9591 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9594 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9596 @item gnus-break-pages
9597 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9598 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9599 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9600 paging will not be done.
9602 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9603 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9604 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9609 @node Composing Messages
9610 @chapter Composing Messages
9611 @cindex composing messages
9614 @cindex sending mail
9620 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9621 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9622 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9623 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9624 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9625 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9628 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9629 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9630 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9631 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9632 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9633 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9634 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9635 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9638 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9639 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9645 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9648 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9649 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9650 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9651 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9653 @item gnus-add-to-list
9654 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9655 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9656 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9661 @node Posting Server
9662 @section Posting Server
9664 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9665 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9667 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9669 @vindex gnus-post-method
9671 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
9672 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
9673 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
9674 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
9675 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9676 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9677 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9680 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9683 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9684 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9685 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9686 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behaviour, for posting.
9688 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9689 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9691 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9692 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9695 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
9696 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
9700 @section Mail and Post
9702 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9706 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9707 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9708 @cindex mailing lists
9710 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9711 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9712 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9713 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9714 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9715 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9716 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9717 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9718 still a pain, though.
9722 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9723 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9724 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9727 @findex ispell-message
9729 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9732 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9733 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9736 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9739 ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
9740 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9742 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9745 Modify to suit your needs.
9748 @node Archived Messages
9749 @section Archived Messages
9750 @cindex archived messages
9751 @cindex sent messages
9753 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9754 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9755 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9756 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9759 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9760 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
9761 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9765 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9766 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9767 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9768 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9771 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9772 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9773 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9774 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9777 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9778 '(nnfolder "archive"
9779 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9780 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9781 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9784 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9786 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9787 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9788 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9790 This variable can be used to do the following:
9794 Messages will be saved in that group.
9796 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9797 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9798 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9799 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9800 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9801 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9802 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9803 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9805 @item a list of strings
9806 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9807 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9808 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9810 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9815 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9817 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9820 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9822 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9825 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9827 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9828 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9829 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9830 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9835 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9836 '((if (message-news-p)
9841 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9842 messages in one file per month:
9845 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9846 '((if (message-news-p)
9848 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9851 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9852 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9854 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9855 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9856 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9857 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9858 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9859 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9860 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9861 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9862 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9863 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9865 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9866 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9867 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9868 this will disable archiving.
9871 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9872 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9873 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9874 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9875 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9878 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9879 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9880 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9883 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9884 but the latter is the preferred method.
9886 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9887 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9888 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
9893 @node Posting Styles
9894 @section Posting Styles
9895 @cindex posting styles
9898 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9900 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9901 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9902 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9905 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9906 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9907 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9908 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9909 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9914 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9915 (organization "What me?"))
9917 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9918 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9919 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9922 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9923 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9924 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9925 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9926 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9927 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9928 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9929 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9931 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9932 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9933 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
9934 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
9935 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
9936 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
9937 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
9938 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
9939 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
9941 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9942 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
9943 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9944 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9945 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9946 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9947 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9948 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9949 result is thrown away.
9951 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9952 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9953 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9954 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9955 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9956 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9958 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9959 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9960 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9962 @findex message-mail-p
9963 @findex message-news-p
9965 So here's a new example:
9968 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9970 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9972 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9973 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9975 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9976 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9977 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9979 (signature my-news-signature))
9980 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
9981 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9982 ((posting-from-work-p)
9983 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9984 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9985 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9986 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9988 (From (save-excursion
9989 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
9990 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
9992 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9995 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
9996 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
9997 if you fill many roles.
10004 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10005 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10006 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10007 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10008 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10010 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10011 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10012 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10013 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10014 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10018 @vindex nndraft-directory
10019 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10020 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10021 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10022 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10023 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10024 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10026 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10027 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10030 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10031 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10032 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10033 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10034 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10035 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10036 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10037 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10038 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10039 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10040 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10041 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10042 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10043 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10045 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10046 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10047 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10049 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10050 @kindex D e (Draft)
10051 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10052 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10053 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10055 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10058 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10059 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10060 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10061 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10062 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10063 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10064 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10067 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10068 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10069 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10072 @node Rejected Articles
10073 @section Rejected Articles
10074 @cindex rejected articles
10076 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10077 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10078 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10079 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10081 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10082 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10083 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10084 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10085 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10087 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10088 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10089 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10095 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10096 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10097 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10099 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10100 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10104 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10105 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10108 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10109 to 700, for your own safety.
10111 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10112 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10116 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10119 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10120 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10123 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10126 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10127 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10128 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10129 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10130 encrypt using S/MIME.
10132 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10133 you've typed it correctly.
10135 @node Select Methods
10136 @chapter Select Methods
10137 @cindex foreign groups
10138 @cindex select methods
10140 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10141 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10142 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10143 personal mail group.
10145 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10146 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10147 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10148 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10149 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10150 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10152 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10153 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10155 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10158 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10159 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10160 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10161 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10162 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10164 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10167 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10168 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10169 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10170 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10171 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10172 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10173 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10177 @node Server Buffer
10178 @section Server Buffer
10180 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10181 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10182 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10183 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10184 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10185 backend represents a virtual server.
10187 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10188 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10189 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10190 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10192 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10193 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10194 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10195 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10196 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10197 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10198 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10200 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10201 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10204 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10205 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10206 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10207 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10208 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10209 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10210 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10213 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10214 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10217 @node Server Buffer Format
10218 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10219 @cindex server buffer format
10221 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10222 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10223 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10224 variable, with some simple extensions:
10229 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10232 The name of this server.
10235 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10238 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10241 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10242 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10243 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10244 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10254 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10257 @node Server Commands
10258 @subsection Server Commands
10259 @cindex server commands
10265 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10266 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10270 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10271 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10274 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10275 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10276 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10280 @findex gnus-server-exit
10281 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10285 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10286 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10290 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10291 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10295 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10296 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10300 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10301 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10305 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10306 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10307 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10312 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10313 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10314 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10315 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10320 @node Example Methods
10321 @subsection Example Methods
10323 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10326 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10329 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10335 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10336 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10339 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10340 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10342 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10343 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10347 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10350 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10351 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10353 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10354 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10355 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10359 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10362 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10365 Here's the method for a public spool:
10369 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10370 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10376 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10377 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10378 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10379 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10380 should probably look something like this:
10384 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10385 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10386 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10387 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10388 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10391 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10392 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10393 server that would look something like this:
10397 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10398 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10399 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10400 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10401 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10402 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10405 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10406 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10407 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10408 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10411 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10412 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10414 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10415 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10417 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10418 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10419 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10421 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10423 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10424 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10425 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10426 will contain the following:
10436 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10437 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10438 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10441 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10442 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10443 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10446 @node Server Variables
10447 @subsection Server Variables
10449 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10450 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10451 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10452 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10453 won't change the "derived" variables.
10455 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10456 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10457 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10458 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10459 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10460 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10461 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10462 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10463 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10467 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10468 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10469 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10473 @node Servers and Methods
10474 @subsection Servers and Methods
10476 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10477 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10478 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10479 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10483 @node Unavailable Servers
10484 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10486 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10487 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10488 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10489 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10490 actually the case or not.
10492 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10493 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10494 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10495 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10496 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10497 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10498 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10499 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10501 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10502 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10504 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
10505 with the following commands:
10511 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10512 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10513 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10517 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10518 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10519 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10523 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10524 Mark the current server as unreachable
10525 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10528 @kindex M-o (Server)
10529 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10530 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10531 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10534 @kindex M-c (Server)
10535 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10536 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10537 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10541 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10542 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10543 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10549 @section Getting News
10550 @cindex reading news
10551 @cindex news backends
10553 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10554 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10555 or it can read from a local spool.
10558 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10559 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10564 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10567 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10568 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10569 server as the, uhm, address.
10571 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10572 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10573 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10574 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10576 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10577 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10578 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10580 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10585 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10586 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10587 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10589 @cindex authentification
10590 @cindex nntp authentification
10591 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10592 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10593 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10594 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10595 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10596 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10597 present in this hook.
10599 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10600 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10601 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10602 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10603 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10604 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10605 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10606 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10607 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10608 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10609 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10610 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10614 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10617 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10619 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10620 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10621 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10622 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10623 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10624 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10625 @samp{force} is explained below.
10629 Here's an example file:
10632 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10633 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10636 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10637 have to be first, for instance.
10639 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10640 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10641 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10642 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10643 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10644 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10645 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10647 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10648 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10654 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10655 previously mentioned.
10657 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10659 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10660 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10661 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10662 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10663 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10666 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10667 '(("innd" (ding))))
10670 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10672 The default value is
10675 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10676 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10679 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10680 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10682 @item nntp-maximum-request
10683 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10684 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10685 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10686 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10687 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10688 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10689 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10691 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10692 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10693 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10694 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10695 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10696 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10697 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10698 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10699 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10700 no timeouts are done.
10702 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10703 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10704 @c @cindex PPP connections
10705 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10706 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10707 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10708 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10709 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10710 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10711 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10712 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10713 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10714 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10716 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10717 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10718 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10719 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10720 @c described above.
10722 @item nntp-server-hook
10723 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10724 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10727 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10728 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10729 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10730 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10731 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10732 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10733 functions are supplied:
10736 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10737 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10740 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10741 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10742 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10745 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10749 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10750 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10751 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10752 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10754 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10755 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10756 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10758 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10759 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10760 User name on the remote system.
10764 @item nntp-open-telnet
10765 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10766 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10768 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10771 @item nntp-telnet-command
10772 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10773 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10775 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10776 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10777 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10779 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10780 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10781 User name for log in on the remote system.
10783 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10784 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10785 Password to use when logging in.
10787 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10788 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10789 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10792 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10793 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10794 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10795 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10797 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10798 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10799 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10800 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10801 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10805 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10806 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10807 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10808 you must have SSLay installed
10809 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10810 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10811 define a server as follows:
10814 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10816 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10818 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10819 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10820 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10821 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10826 @item nntp-end-of-line
10827 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10828 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10829 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10830 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10832 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10833 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10834 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10838 @vindex nntp-address
10839 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10841 @item nntp-port-number
10842 @vindex nntp-port-number
10843 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10846 @item nntp-list-options
10847 @vindex nntp-list-options
10848 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
10849 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
10850 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
10851 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
10852 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
10856 (setq gnus-select-method
10857 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10858 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
10861 @item nntp-options-subscribe
10862 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
10863 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
10864 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10865 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10866 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10867 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10870 (setq gnus-select-method
10871 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10872 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
10875 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
10876 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
10877 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
10878 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10879 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10880 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10881 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10884 (setq gnus-select-method
10885 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10886 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
10889 @item nntp-buggy-select
10890 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10891 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10893 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10894 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10895 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10896 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10899 @item nntp-xover-commands
10900 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10903 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10904 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10908 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10909 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10910 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10911 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10912 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10913 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10914 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10915 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10916 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10917 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10918 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10920 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10921 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10922 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10924 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10925 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10926 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10927 server closes connection.
10929 @item nntp-record-commands
10930 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10931 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10932 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10933 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10934 that doesn't seem to work.
10940 @subsection News Spool
10944 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10945 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10946 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10949 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10950 anything else) as the address.
10952 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10953 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10954 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10955 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10959 @item nnspool-inews-program
10960 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10961 Program used to post an article.
10963 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10964 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10965 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10967 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10968 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10969 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10970 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10972 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10973 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10974 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10975 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10977 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10978 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10979 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10981 @item nnspool-active-file
10982 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10983 The path to the active file.
10985 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10986 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10987 The path to the group descriptions file.
10989 @item nnspool-history-file
10990 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10991 The path to the news history file.
10993 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10994 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10995 The path to the active date file.
10997 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10998 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10999 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11002 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11003 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11005 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11006 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11007 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11013 @section Getting Mail
11014 @cindex reading mail
11017 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11021 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11022 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11023 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11024 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11025 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11026 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11027 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11028 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11029 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11030 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11031 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11032 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
11033 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11037 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11038 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11040 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11041 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11042 of a culture shock.
11044 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11045 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11047 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11048 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11049 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11050 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11052 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11054 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11055 deleted? How awful!
11057 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11058 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11059 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11060 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11063 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11064 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11065 they want to treat a message.
11067 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11068 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11069 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11070 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11071 archived somewhere else.
11073 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11074 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11075 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11076 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11077 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11079 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11080 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11081 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11083 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11084 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11087 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11088 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11089 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11090 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11091 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11093 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11094 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11095 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11096 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11097 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11098 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11102 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11103 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11105 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11106 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11107 and things will happen automatically.
11109 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11110 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11113 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11114 '((nnml "private")))
11117 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11118 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11119 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11120 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11121 like any other group.
11123 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11126 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11127 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11128 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11132 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11133 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11134 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11137 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11138 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11139 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11142 @node Splitting Mail
11143 @subsection Splitting Mail
11144 @cindex splitting mail
11145 @cindex mail splitting
11147 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11148 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11149 to be split into groups.
11152 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11153 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11154 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11155 ("mail.other" "")))
11158 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11159 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11160 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11161 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11162 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11163 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11164 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11167 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11170 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11171 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11172 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11173 mail belongs in that group.
11175 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11176 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11177 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11178 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11179 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11180 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11182 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11183 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11184 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11185 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11186 thinks should carry this mail message.
11188 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11189 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11190 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11191 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11193 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11194 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11195 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11196 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11197 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11199 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11202 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11203 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11204 links. If that's the case for you, set
11205 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11206 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11208 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11209 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11210 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11211 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11212 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11213 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11216 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11217 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11218 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11219 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11220 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11221 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11222 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11223 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11224 month's rent money.
11228 @subsection Mail Sources
11230 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11231 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11235 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11236 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11237 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11241 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11242 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11244 @cindex mail server
11247 @cindex mail source
11249 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11250 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11255 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11258 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11259 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11260 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11263 The following mail source types are available:
11267 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11273 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11274 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11277 An example file mail source:
11280 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11283 Or using the default path:
11289 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11290 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11291 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11294 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11298 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11301 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11305 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11308 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11310 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11313 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11317 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11318 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11319 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
11320 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
11321 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
11327 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11331 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11335 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11336 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11337 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11338 predicate are considered.
11342 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11346 An example directory mail source:
11349 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11354 Get mail from a POP server.
11360 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11361 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11364 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11365 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11366 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11367 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11368 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11371 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11375 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11379 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11380 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11383 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11386 The valid format specifier characters are:
11390 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11391 included in this string.
11394 The name of the server.
11397 The port number of the server.
11400 The user name to use.
11403 The password to use.
11406 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11407 corresponding keywords.
11410 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11411 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11414 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11415 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11418 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11419 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11422 @item :authentication
11423 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11424 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11429 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11430 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11432 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11433 default user name, and default fetcher:
11439 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11442 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11443 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11446 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11449 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11453 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11454 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11455 contains exactly one mail.
11461 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11462 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11465 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11466 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11468 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11469 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11470 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11473 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11474 from locking problems).
11478 Two example maildir mail sources:
11481 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11485 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
11489 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11490 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11491 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11492 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11499 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11500 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11503 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11504 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11507 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11511 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11515 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11516 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11517 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11519 @item :authentication
11520 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11521 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11522 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11526 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11527 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11528 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11534 The valid format specifier characters are:
11538 The name of the server.
11541 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11544 The port number of the server.
11547 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11548 corresponding keywords.
11551 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11552 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11555 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11556 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11557 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11558 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11559 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11560 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11563 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11564 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11565 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11566 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11569 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11570 after finishing the fetch.
11574 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11577 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11581 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11582 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11584 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11587 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11588 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11590 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11596 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11597 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11600 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11604 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11608 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11609 folder after finishing the fetch.
11613 An example webmail source:
11616 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11621 @item Common Keywords
11622 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11628 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11629 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11633 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11638 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11639 useful when you use local mail and news.
11644 @subsubsection Function Interface
11646 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11647 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11648 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11649 consider the following mail-source setting:
11652 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11653 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11656 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11657 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11658 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11659 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11660 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11662 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11665 @node Mail Source Customization
11666 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11668 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11669 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11673 @item mail-source-crash-box
11674 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11675 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11676 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11678 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11679 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11680 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11682 @item mail-source-directory
11683 @vindex mail-source-directory
11684 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11685 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11686 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11689 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11690 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11691 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11692 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11693 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11694 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11696 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11697 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11698 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11703 @node Fetching Mail
11704 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11706 @vindex mail-sources
11707 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11708 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11709 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11710 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11712 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11713 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11716 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11717 mail server, you'd say something like:
11722 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11723 :password "secret")))
11726 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11730 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11731 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11734 :password "secret")))
11738 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11739 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11740 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11741 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11742 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11743 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11747 @node Mail Backend Variables
11748 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11750 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11754 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11755 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11756 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11757 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11759 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11760 @item nnmail-split-hook
11761 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11762 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11763 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11764 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11765 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11766 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11767 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11768 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11769 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11772 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11773 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11774 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11775 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11776 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11777 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11778 starting to handle the new mail) and
11779 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11780 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11781 default file modes the new mail files get:
11784 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11785 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11787 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11788 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11791 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11792 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11793 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11794 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11795 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11796 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11797 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11799 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11800 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11801 @findex delete-file
11802 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11804 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11805 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11806 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11807 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11808 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11813 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11814 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11815 @cindex mail splitting
11816 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11818 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11819 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11820 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11821 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11822 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11823 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11825 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11828 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11829 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11830 ;; from real errors.
11831 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11833 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11834 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11835 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11836 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11837 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11838 ;; Other mailing lists...
11839 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11840 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11841 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11842 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11843 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11844 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11845 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11846 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11848 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11849 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11853 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11854 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11855 the five possible split syntaxes:
11860 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11861 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11865 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11866 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11867 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11868 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11869 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11870 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11871 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11872 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11875 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11876 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11877 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11878 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11881 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11882 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11885 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11886 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11889 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11890 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11891 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11892 function should return a @var{split}.
11895 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
11896 body of the messages:
11899 (defun split-on-body ()
11901 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
11902 (goto-char (point-min))
11903 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
11907 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
11908 when the @code{:} function is run.
11911 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11912 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11913 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11917 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11921 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11922 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11923 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11924 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11925 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11927 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11928 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11929 are expanded as specified by the variable
11930 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11931 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11934 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11935 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11936 when all this splitting is performed.
11938 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11939 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11940 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11943 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
11946 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
11947 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
11949 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
11950 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
11951 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
11952 groupings 1 through 9.
11954 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
11955 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
11956 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
11957 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
11958 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
11959 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
11960 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
11961 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
11962 it once per thread.
11964 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
11965 non-nil value. And then you can include
11966 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
11968 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
11969 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
11970 ;; other splits go here
11974 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
11975 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
11976 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
11977 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
11978 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
11979 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
11980 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
11981 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
11982 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
11983 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
11984 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
11985 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
11987 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11988 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
11989 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
11990 messages goes into the new group.
11993 @node Group Mail Splitting
11994 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
11995 @cindex mail splitting
11996 @cindex group mail splitting
11998 @findex gnus-group-split
11999 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12000 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12001 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12002 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12003 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12004 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12005 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12006 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12008 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12009 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12010 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12011 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12013 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12014 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12015 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12016 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12017 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12018 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12019 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12021 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12022 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12023 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12024 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12025 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12026 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12027 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12029 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12030 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12031 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12032 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12033 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12034 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12035 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12036 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12037 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12038 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12039 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12040 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12041 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12043 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12048 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12049 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12051 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12052 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12053 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12054 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12056 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12059 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12060 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12061 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12064 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12065 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12066 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12070 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12071 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12072 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12076 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12079 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12080 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12081 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12082 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12083 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12084 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12085 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12086 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12087 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12089 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12090 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12091 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12092 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12093 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12094 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12095 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12096 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12097 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12099 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12100 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12101 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12102 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12103 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12104 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12107 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12110 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12111 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12112 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12113 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12114 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12117 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12118 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12119 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12120 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12122 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12123 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12125 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12126 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12127 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12130 Doing so can be quite easy.
12132 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12133 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12134 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12135 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12136 your @code{nnml} groups.
12142 Go to the group buffer.
12145 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12146 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12149 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12152 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12153 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12156 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12157 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12160 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12161 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12162 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12163 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12164 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12166 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12167 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12168 using the new mail backend.
12171 @node Expiring Mail
12172 @subsection Expiring Mail
12173 @cindex article expiry
12175 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12176 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12177 different approach to mail reading.
12179 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12180 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12181 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12182 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12183 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12184 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12187 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12188 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12189 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12190 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12191 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12192 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12193 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12194 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12196 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12197 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12198 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12199 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12200 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12201 column in the summary buffer.
12203 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12204 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12205 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12206 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12209 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12211 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12212 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12213 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12216 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12217 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12218 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12219 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12220 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12222 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12223 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12226 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12227 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12230 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12231 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12233 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12234 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12235 don't really mix very well.
12237 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12238 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12239 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12240 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12243 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12244 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12245 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12246 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12249 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12251 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12253 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12255 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12257 ((string= group "important")
12263 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12264 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12266 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12267 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12268 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12271 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12272 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12274 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12275 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12276 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12277 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12278 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12279 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12280 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12281 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12282 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12283 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12284 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12285 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12288 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12290 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12294 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12295 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12296 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12297 easier for procmail users.
12299 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12300 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12301 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12302 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12303 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12304 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12305 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12306 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12307 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12308 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12309 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12310 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12311 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12314 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12316 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12317 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12318 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12319 auto-expire turned on.
12323 @subsection Washing Mail
12324 @cindex mail washing
12325 @cindex list server brain damage
12326 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12328 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12329 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12330 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12331 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12332 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12333 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12335 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12336 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12337 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12340 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12341 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12342 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12343 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12346 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12347 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12348 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12349 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12350 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12353 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12354 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12355 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12356 Emacs running on MS machines.
12360 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12361 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12362 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12363 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12366 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12367 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12368 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12369 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12371 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12372 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12373 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12374 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12375 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12376 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12377 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12380 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12381 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12384 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12385 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12388 This can also be done non-destructively with
12389 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12391 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12392 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12393 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12395 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12396 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12398 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12399 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12400 @code{References} headers.
12404 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12405 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12406 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12410 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12411 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12412 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12419 @subsection Duplicates
12421 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12422 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12423 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12424 @cindex duplicate mails
12425 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12426 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12427 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12428 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12429 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12430 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12431 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12432 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12433 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12434 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12435 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12436 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12437 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12439 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12440 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12441 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12442 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12444 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12447 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12448 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12452 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12453 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12454 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12455 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12456 (any mail "mail.misc")
12463 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12464 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12469 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12470 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12471 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12472 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12473 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12476 @node Not Reading Mail
12477 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12479 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12480 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12481 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12483 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12484 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12485 mail, which should help.
12487 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12488 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12489 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12490 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12491 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12492 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12493 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12494 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12495 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12496 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12497 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12499 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12500 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12504 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12505 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12507 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12508 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12509 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12511 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12512 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12513 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12514 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12517 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12518 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12519 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12520 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12521 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12522 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12526 @node Unix Mail Box
12527 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12529 @cindex unix mail box
12531 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12532 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12533 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12534 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12535 which group it belongs in.
12537 Virtual server settings:
12540 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12541 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12542 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
12544 @item nnmbox-active-file
12545 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12546 The name of the active file for the mail box.
12548 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12549 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12550 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12556 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12560 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12561 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12562 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12563 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12564 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12566 Virtual server settings:
12569 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12570 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12571 The name of the rmail mbox file.
12573 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12574 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12575 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
12577 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12578 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12579 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
12584 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12586 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12588 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12589 format. It should be used with some caution.
12591 @vindex nnml-directory
12592 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12593 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12594 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12595 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12597 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12600 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12601 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12602 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12603 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12604 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12605 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12606 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12607 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12609 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12610 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12611 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12612 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12614 Virtual server settings:
12617 @item nnml-directory
12618 @vindex nnml-directory
12619 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12621 @item nnml-active-file
12622 @vindex nnml-active-file
12623 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
12625 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12626 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12627 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12630 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12631 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12632 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
12634 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12635 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12636 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12638 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12639 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12640 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12642 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12643 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12644 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12648 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12649 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12650 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12651 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12652 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12653 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12654 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12659 @subsubsection MH Spool
12661 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12663 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12664 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12665 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12666 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12668 Virtual server settings:
12671 @item nnmh-directory
12672 @vindex nnmh-directory
12673 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
12675 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12676 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12677 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
12680 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12681 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12682 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12683 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12684 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12685 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12686 to set this variable to @code{t}.
12691 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12693 @cindex mbox folders
12694 @cindex mail folders
12696 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12697 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12698 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12701 Virtual server settings:
12704 @item nnfolder-directory
12705 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12706 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12708 @item nnfolder-active-file
12709 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12710 The name of the active file.
12712 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12713 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12714 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
12716 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12717 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12718 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
12720 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12721 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12722 @cindex backup files
12723 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12724 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12725 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12726 your @file{.emacs} file:
12729 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12730 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12732 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12735 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12736 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12737 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12738 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12739 extract some information from it before removing it.
12741 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12742 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12743 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12748 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12749 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12750 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12751 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12752 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12753 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12756 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12757 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12759 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12760 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12761 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12762 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12763 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12765 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12766 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12767 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12768 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12769 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12770 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12771 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12772 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12775 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12776 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12777 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12778 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12783 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12784 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12785 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12786 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12787 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12788 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12789 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12790 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12791 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12792 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12793 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12794 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12795 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12800 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12801 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12802 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12803 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12804 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12805 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12806 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12807 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12808 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12809 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12810 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12811 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12812 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12813 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12815 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12816 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12821 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12822 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12823 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12824 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12825 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12826 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12827 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12828 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12829 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12830 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12831 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12832 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12833 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12834 provided by the active file and overviews.
12836 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12837 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12838 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12839 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12840 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12843 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12844 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12849 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12850 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12851 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12852 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12853 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12854 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12855 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12859 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12860 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12861 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12862 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12863 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12864 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12865 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12866 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12867 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12869 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12870 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12871 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12872 friendly mail backend all over.
12877 @node Browsing the Web
12878 @section Browsing the Web
12880 @cindex browsing the web
12884 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12885 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12886 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12887 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12888 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12889 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12890 even know what a news group is.
12892 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12893 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12894 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12895 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12896 you mad in the end.
12898 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12901 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12902 interfaces to these sources.
12905 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12906 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12907 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12908 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12909 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12912 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12914 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12915 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12916 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12917 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12918 though, you should be ok.
12920 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12921 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12922 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12923 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12924 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
12928 @subsection Web Searches
12932 @cindex InReference
12933 @cindex Usenet searches
12934 @cindex searching the Usenet
12936 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
12937 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
12938 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
12939 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
12940 searches without having to use a browser.
12942 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
12943 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
12944 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
12945 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
12946 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
12948 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
12949 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
12950 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
12951 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
12952 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
12953 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
12954 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
12955 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
12956 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
12957 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
12960 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
12961 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
12962 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
12963 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
12964 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
12965 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
12967 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
12968 to use @code{nnweb}.
12970 Virtual server variables:
12975 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
12976 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
12980 @vindex nnweb-search
12981 The search string to feed to the search engine.
12983 @item nnweb-max-hits
12984 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
12985 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
12988 @item nnweb-type-definition
12989 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
12990 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
12991 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
12996 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13000 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13003 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13006 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13010 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13017 @subsection Slashdot
13021 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13022 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13023 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13025 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13026 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13029 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13030 '((nnslashdot "")))
13033 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
13034 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13035 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13036 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13037 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13040 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13041 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13043 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13044 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13045 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13046 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13047 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13048 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13051 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
13054 @item nnslashdot-threaded
13055 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
13056 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
13057 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
13058 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
13059 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13060 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13062 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13063 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13064 The login name to use when posting.
13066 @item nnslashdot-password
13067 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13068 The password to use when posting.
13070 @item nnslashdot-directory
13071 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13072 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
13073 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13075 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13076 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13077 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13078 news articles and comments. The default is
13079 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13081 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13082 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13083 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13085 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13087 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13088 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13089 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13091 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13093 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13094 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13095 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13097 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13098 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13099 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13100 updated. The default is 0.
13107 @subsection Ultimate
13109 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13111 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13112 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13113 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13114 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13116 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13117 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13118 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13119 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13120 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13121 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13122 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13124 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13127 @item nnultimate-directory
13128 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13129 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13130 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13135 @subsection Web Archive
13137 @cindex Web Archive
13139 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13140 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13141 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13142 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13145 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13146 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13147 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13148 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13149 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13150 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13151 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13153 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13156 @item nnwarchive-directory
13157 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13158 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13159 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13161 @item nnwarchive-login
13162 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13163 The account name on the web server.
13165 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13166 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13167 The password for your account on the web server.
13171 @node Customizing w3
13172 @subsection Customizing w3
13178 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13179 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13180 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13182 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13183 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13184 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13187 (eval-after-load "w3"
13189 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13190 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13191 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13192 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13194 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13197 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13198 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13202 @node Other Sources
13203 @section Other Sources
13205 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13206 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13210 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13211 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13212 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13213 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13214 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13215 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13219 @node Directory Groups
13220 @subsection Directory Groups
13222 @cindex directory groups
13224 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13225 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13228 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13229 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13230 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13231 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13233 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13234 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13235 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13236 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13237 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13239 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13241 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13242 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13243 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13244 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13247 @node Anything Groups
13248 @subsection Anything Groups
13251 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13252 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13253 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13256 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13257 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13258 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13259 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13260 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13261 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13262 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13263 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13264 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13265 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13268 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13269 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13270 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13271 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13273 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13274 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13275 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13276 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13278 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13279 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13280 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13281 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13282 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13283 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13284 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13285 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13290 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13291 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13292 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13293 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13295 @item nneething-exclude-files
13296 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13297 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13298 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13300 @item nneething-include-files
13301 @vindex nneething-include-files
13302 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13303 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13305 @item nneething-map-file
13306 @vindex nneething-map-file
13307 Name of the map files.
13311 @node Document Groups
13312 @subsection Document Groups
13314 @cindex documentation group
13317 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13318 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13325 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13330 The standard Unix mbox file.
13332 @cindex MMDF mail box
13334 The MMDF mail box format.
13337 Several news articles appended into a file.
13340 @cindex rnews batch files
13341 The rnews batch transport format.
13342 @cindex forwarded messages
13345 Forwarded articles.
13348 Netscape mail boxes.
13351 MIME multipart messages.
13353 @item standard-digest
13354 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13357 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13360 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13361 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13362 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13365 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13366 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13367 group. And that's it.
13369 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13370 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13371 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13372 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13373 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13374 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13375 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13376 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13377 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13378 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13380 Virtual server variables:
13383 @item nndoc-article-type
13384 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13385 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13386 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13387 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13388 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13390 @item nndoc-post-type
13391 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13392 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13393 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13398 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13402 @node Document Server Internals
13403 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13405 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13406 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13407 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13408 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13410 First, here's an example document type definition:
13414 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13415 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13418 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13419 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13420 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13421 types can be defined with very few settings:
13424 @item first-article
13425 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13426 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13429 @item article-begin
13430 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13431 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13433 @item head-begin-function
13434 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13437 @item nndoc-head-begin
13438 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13441 @item nndoc-head-end
13442 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13443 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13445 @item body-begin-function
13446 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13450 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13453 @item body-end-function
13454 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13458 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13461 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13462 regexp will be totally ignored.
13466 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13467 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13468 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13469 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13470 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13473 @item prepare-body-function
13474 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13475 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13476 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13478 @item article-transform-function
13479 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13480 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13481 body of the article.
13483 @item generate-head-function
13484 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13485 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13486 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13487 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13491 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13496 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13497 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13498 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13499 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13500 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13501 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13502 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13503 (subtype digest guess))
13506 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13507 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13508 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13509 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13510 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13512 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13513 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13514 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13515 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13516 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
13517 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13518 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13519 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13520 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13521 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13529 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13530 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13531 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13533 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13534 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13535 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13538 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13539 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13540 that interested in doing things properly.
13542 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13543 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13546 First some terminology:
13551 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13552 get news and/or mail from.
13555 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13556 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13559 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13563 @item message packets
13564 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13565 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13566 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13568 @item response packets
13569 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13570 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13571 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13581 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13582 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13583 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13584 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13587 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13590 You put the packet in your home directory.
13593 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13594 the native or secondary server.
13597 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13598 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13601 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13605 You transfer this packet to the server.
13608 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13611 You then repeat until you die.
13615 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13616 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13619 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13620 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13621 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13625 @node SOUP Commands
13626 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13628 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13632 @kindex G s b (Group)
13633 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13634 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13635 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13636 process/prefix convention.
13639 @kindex G s w (Group)
13640 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13641 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13644 @kindex G s s (Group)
13645 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13646 Send all replies from the replies packet
13647 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13650 @kindex G s p (Group)
13651 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13652 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13655 @kindex G s r (Group)
13656 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13657 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13660 @kindex O s (Summary)
13661 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13662 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13663 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13664 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13669 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13674 @item gnus-soup-directory
13675 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13676 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13677 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13679 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13680 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13681 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13682 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13684 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13685 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13686 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13687 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13689 @item gnus-soup-packer
13690 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13691 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13692 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13694 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13695 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13696 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13697 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13699 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13700 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13701 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13703 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13704 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13705 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13706 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13712 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13715 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13716 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13717 you can read them at leisure.
13719 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13723 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13724 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13725 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13726 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13728 @item nnsoup-directory
13729 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13730 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13731 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13733 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13734 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13735 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13736 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13738 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13739 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13740 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13741 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13742 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13744 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13745 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13746 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13747 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13749 @item nnsoup-active-file
13750 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13751 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13752 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13753 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13754 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13756 @item nnsoup-packer
13757 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13758 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13759 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13761 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13762 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13763 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13764 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13766 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13767 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13768 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13771 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13772 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13773 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13776 @item nnsoup-always-save
13777 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13778 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13784 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13786 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13787 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13788 more for that to happen.
13790 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13791 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13792 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13795 In specific, this is what it does:
13798 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13799 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13802 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13803 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13804 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13807 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13808 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13809 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13812 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13813 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13814 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13816 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13822 @item nngateway-address
13823 @vindex nngateway-address
13824 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13826 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13827 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13828 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13829 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13830 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13831 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13832 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13835 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13836 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13837 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13840 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13843 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13846 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13849 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13851 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13854 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13855 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13856 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13858 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13860 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13861 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13862 @code{nngateway-address}.
13867 (setq gnus-post-method
13868 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
13869 (nngateway-header-transformation
13870 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13878 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13881 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13887 @subsection @sc{imap}
13891 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
13892 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
13893 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
13894 specify the network address of the server.
13896 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
13897 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
13898 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
13899 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
13900 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
13902 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
13903 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
13904 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
13905 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13907 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
13908 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
13909 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
13910 usage explained in this section.
13912 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
13913 might look something like this:
13916 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13917 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
13918 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
13920 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13921 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
13922 ; a UW server running on localhost
13924 (nnimap-server-port 143)
13925 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13926 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
13927 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
13928 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
13929 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
13930 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
13931 (nnimap-stream network))
13932 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
13934 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
13935 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
13936 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
13939 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
13944 @item nnimap-address
13945 @vindex nnimap-address
13947 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
13948 server name if not specified.
13950 @item nnimap-server-port
13951 @vindex nnimap-server-port
13952 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
13954 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
13957 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13958 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
13961 @item nnimap-list-pattern
13962 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
13963 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
13964 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
13965 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
13966 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
13967 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
13969 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
13970 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
13971 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
13974 Example server specification:
13977 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13978 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
13979 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
13982 @item nnimap-stream
13983 @vindex nnimap-stream
13984 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
13985 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
13986 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
13987 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
13989 Example server specification:
13992 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13993 (nnimap-stream ssl))
13996 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14000 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
14001 @samp{imtest} program.
14003 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
14005 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14006 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14009 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
14010 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
14012 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14014 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14017 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14018 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
14019 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
14020 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14023 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14024 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14025 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14026 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
14027 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14028 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14029 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14032 @vindex imap-shell-program
14033 @vindex imap-shell-host
14034 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14035 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14037 @item nnimap-authenticator
14038 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14040 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14041 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14043 Example server specification:
14046 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14047 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14050 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14054 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14055 external program @code{imtest}.
14057 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14060 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14061 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14063 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14065 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14067 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14070 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14072 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14073 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14074 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14075 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14076 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14077 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14080 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14081 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14082 running in circles yet?
14084 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14085 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14088 The possible options are:
14093 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14096 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14097 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14098 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14099 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14101 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14106 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14107 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14109 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format
14110 is (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See
14111 `nntp-authinfo-file' for exact syntax.
14113 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14114 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14115 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14121 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14122 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14123 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14128 @node Splitting in IMAP
14129 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14130 @cindex splitting imap mail
14132 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14133 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14134 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14135 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14136 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14140 Here are the variables of interest:
14144 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14145 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14147 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14149 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14150 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14152 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14154 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14155 @cindex splitting, inbox
14157 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14159 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14160 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14164 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14165 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14168 No nnmail equivalent.
14170 @item nnimap-split-rule
14171 @cindex Splitting, rules
14172 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14174 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14177 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14178 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14179 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14180 Neither did I, we need examples.
14183 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14184 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14185 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14186 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14189 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14190 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14191 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14193 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14194 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14198 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14201 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14202 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14203 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14204 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14206 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14207 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14208 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14209 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14210 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14211 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14213 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14214 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14215 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14217 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14218 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14219 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14221 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14223 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14224 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14225 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14228 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14229 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14230 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14231 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14232 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14233 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14236 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14237 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14238 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14239 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14240 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14241 group/function elements.
14243 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14245 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14247 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14249 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14250 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14252 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14253 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14254 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14257 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14258 @cindex splitting, fancy
14259 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14260 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14262 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14263 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14264 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14266 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14267 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14268 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14269 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14274 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14275 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14278 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14282 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14283 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14284 @cindex editing imap acls
14285 @cindex Access Control Lists
14286 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14288 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14290 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14291 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14292 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14295 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14296 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14297 editing window with detailed instructions.
14299 Some possible uses:
14303 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14304 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14305 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14307 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14308 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14309 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14313 @node Expunging mailboxes
14314 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14318 @cindex Manual expunging
14320 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14322 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
14323 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14324 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14326 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14331 @node Combined Groups
14332 @section Combined Groups
14334 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14338 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14339 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14343 @node Virtual Groups
14344 @subsection Virtual Groups
14346 @cindex virtual groups
14347 @cindex merging groups
14349 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14352 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14353 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14354 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14356 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14357 regexp to match component groups.
14359 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14360 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14361 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14362 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14363 the virtual group.)
14365 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14366 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14369 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14372 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14373 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14375 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14376 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14377 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14378 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14381 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14384 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14385 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14386 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14388 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14389 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14390 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14391 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14392 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14394 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14395 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14396 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14398 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14399 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14400 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14401 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14402 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14403 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14404 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14405 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14406 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14407 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14408 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14410 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14411 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14412 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14413 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14414 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14415 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14416 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14418 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14419 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14423 @node Kibozed Groups
14424 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14428 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14429 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14430 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14431 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14433 @kindex G k (Group)
14434 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14437 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14438 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14439 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14440 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14442 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14443 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14444 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14446 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14447 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14448 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14449 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14450 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14451 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14452 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14453 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14455 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14456 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14457 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14458 Stranger things have happened.
14460 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14461 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14463 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14464 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14465 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14466 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14467 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14468 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14470 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14471 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14474 @node Gnus Unplugged
14475 @section Gnus Unplugged
14480 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14482 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14483 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14484 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14485 read news. Believe it or not.
14487 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14488 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14489 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14490 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14491 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14493 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14494 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14495 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14496 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14497 reading news on a machine.
14499 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14503 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14504 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14508 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14509 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14516 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14518 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14521 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14522 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14523 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14524 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14525 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14526 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14527 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14528 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14529 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14530 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14535 @subsection Agent Basics
14537 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14539 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14540 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14541 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14542 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14544 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14545 connected to the net continuously.
14547 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14548 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14550 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14555 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14556 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14557 already fetched while in this mode.
14560 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14561 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14562 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14563 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14564 Source Specifiers}).
14567 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14568 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14569 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14570 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14571 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14574 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14575 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14576 then you read the news offline.
14579 And then you go to step 2.
14582 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14588 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14589 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14590 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14591 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14592 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14593 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14596 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14603 @node Agent Categories
14604 @subsection Agent Categories
14606 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14607 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14608 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14609 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14610 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14611 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14612 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14614 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14615 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14616 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14617 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14618 managing categories.
14621 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14622 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14623 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14627 @node Category Syntax
14628 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14630 A category consists of two things.
14634 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14635 are eligible for downloading; and
14638 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14639 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14640 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14643 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14644 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14645 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14646 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14648 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14649 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14650 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14652 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14653 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14654 operators sprinkled in between.
14656 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14658 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14659 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14665 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14666 short (for some value of ``short'').
14668 Here's a more complex predicate:
14677 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14678 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14681 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14682 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14683 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14685 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14686 you want to do, you can write your own.
14690 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14691 lines; default 100.
14694 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14695 lines; default 200.
14698 True iff the article has a download score less than
14699 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14702 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14703 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14706 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14707 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14708 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14717 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14718 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14719 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14722 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14723 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14724 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14725 something along the lines of the following:
14728 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14729 "Say whether an article is old."
14730 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14731 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14734 with the predicate then defined as:
14737 (not my-article-old-p)
14740 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14741 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14742 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14743 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14746 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
14747 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14748 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14751 and simply specify your predicate as:
14757 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14758 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14759 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14760 just don't give a damn.
14762 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14763 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14764 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14765 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14766 parameters like so:
14769 (agent-predicate . short)
14772 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14773 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14774 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14776 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14779 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14782 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14783 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14784 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14787 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14788 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14789 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14790 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14791 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14792 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14794 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14795 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14796 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14797 if it's to be specific to that group.
14799 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14806 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14807 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14813 Category specification
14817 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14823 Group Parameter specification
14826 (agent-score ("from"
14827 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14832 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14838 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14845 Category specification
14848 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14854 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14858 Group Parameter specification
14861 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14864 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14869 Use @code{normal} score files
14871 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14872 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14873 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14874 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14876 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14877 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14878 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
14879 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14883 Category Specification
14890 Group Parameter specification
14893 (agent-score . file)
14898 @node Category Buffer
14899 @subsubsection Category Buffer
14901 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
14902 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
14903 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
14905 The following commands are available in this buffer:
14909 @kindex q (Category)
14910 @findex gnus-category-exit
14911 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
14914 @kindex k (Category)
14915 @findex gnus-category-kill
14916 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
14919 @kindex c (Category)
14920 @findex gnus-category-copy
14921 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
14924 @kindex a (Category)
14925 @findex gnus-category-add
14926 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
14929 @kindex p (Category)
14930 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
14931 Edit the predicate of the current category
14932 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
14935 @kindex g (Category)
14936 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
14937 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
14938 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
14941 @kindex s (Category)
14942 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
14943 Edit the download score rule of the current category
14944 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
14947 @kindex l (Category)
14948 @findex gnus-category-list
14949 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
14953 @node Category Variables
14954 @subsubsection Category Variables
14957 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
14958 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
14959 Hook run in category buffers.
14961 @item gnus-category-line-format
14962 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
14963 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
14964 Variables}). Valid elements are:
14968 The name of the category.
14971 The number of groups in the category.
14974 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
14975 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
14976 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
14978 @item gnus-agent-short-article
14979 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
14980 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
14982 @item gnus-agent-long-article
14983 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
14984 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
14986 @item gnus-agent-low-score
14987 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
14988 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
14991 @item gnus-agent-high-score
14992 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
14993 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
14999 @node Agent Commands
15000 @subsection Agent Commands
15002 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
15003 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
15004 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
15008 * Group Agent Commands::
15009 * Summary Agent Commands::
15010 * Server Agent Commands::
15013 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
15014 following incantation:
15016 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15018 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15023 @node Group Agent Commands
15024 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
15028 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
15029 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
15030 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
15031 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
15034 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
15035 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
15036 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
15039 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
15040 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
15041 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
15042 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
15045 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
15046 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
15047 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
15048 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
15051 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
15052 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
15053 Add the current group to an Agent category
15054 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
15055 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15058 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
15059 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15060 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15061 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15062 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15065 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15066 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15067 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15073 @node Summary Agent Commands
15074 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15078 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15079 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15080 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15083 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15084 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15085 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15086 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15089 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15090 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15091 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15094 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15095 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15096 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15101 @node Server Agent Commands
15102 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15106 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15107 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15108 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15109 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15112 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15113 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15114 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15115 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15121 @subsection Agent Expiry
15123 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15124 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15125 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15126 @cindex Agent expiry
15127 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15130 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15131 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15132 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15133 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15134 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15135 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15137 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15138 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15139 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15140 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15141 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15144 @node Agent and IMAP
15145 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15147 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15148 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15149 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15150 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15152 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15153 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15154 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15155 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15157 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15158 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15159 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15160 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15161 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15163 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15164 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15165 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15166 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15167 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15168 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15170 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15171 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15172 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15173 in the group buffer by default.
15175 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15176 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15181 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15184 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15188 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15189 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15190 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15191 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15192 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15193 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15194 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15195 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15198 @node Outgoing Messages
15199 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15201 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15202 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15203 after posting, and edit them at will.
15205 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15206 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15207 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15208 messages in the draft group.
15212 @node Agent Variables
15213 @subsection Agent Variables
15216 @item gnus-agent-directory
15217 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15218 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15219 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15221 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15222 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15223 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15224 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15225 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15228 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15229 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15230 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15232 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15233 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15234 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15239 @node Example Setup
15240 @subsection Example Setup
15242 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15243 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15244 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15247 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15248 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15249 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15251 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15252 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15253 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15255 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15256 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15258 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15262 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15263 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15266 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15267 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15268 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15269 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15270 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15273 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15274 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15275 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15276 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15277 back all the killed groups.)
15279 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15280 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15281 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15284 @node Batching Agents
15285 @subsection Batching Agents
15287 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15288 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15289 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15293 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15297 @node Agent Caveats
15298 @subsection Agent Caveats
15300 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15301 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15305 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15310 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15311 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15317 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15318 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15325 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15326 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15327 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15330 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15331 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15332 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15333 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15334 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15336 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15337 before generating the summary buffer.
15339 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15340 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15341 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15343 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15344 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15345 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15346 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15349 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15350 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15351 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15352 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15353 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15354 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15355 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15356 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15357 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15358 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15359 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15360 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15361 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15362 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15363 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15364 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15368 @node Summary Score Commands
15369 @section Summary Score Commands
15370 @cindex score commands
15372 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15373 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15374 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15375 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15376 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15378 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15379 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15380 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15381 score file the current one.
15383 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15388 @kindex V s (Summary)
15389 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15390 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15393 @kindex V S (Summary)
15394 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15395 Display the score of the current article
15396 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15399 @kindex V t (Summary)
15400 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15401 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15402 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15405 @kindex V R (Summary)
15406 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15407 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15408 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15409 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15410 effect you're having.
15413 @kindex V c (Summary)
15414 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15415 Make a different score file the current
15416 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15419 @kindex V e (Summary)
15420 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15421 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15422 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15426 @kindex V f (Summary)
15427 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15428 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15429 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15432 @kindex V F (Summary)
15433 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15434 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15435 after editing score files.
15438 @kindex V C (Summary)
15439 @findex gnus-score-customize
15440 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15441 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15445 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15450 @kindex V m (Summary)
15451 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15452 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15453 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15456 @kindex V x (Summary)
15457 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15458 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15459 expunge all articles below this score
15460 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15463 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15464 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15467 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15468 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15472 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15473 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15475 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15476 keys are available:
15480 Score on the author name.
15483 Score on the subject line.
15486 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15489 Score on the @code{References} line.
15495 Score on the number of lines.
15498 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15501 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15502 the followups to this author.
15516 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15517 what headers you are scoring on.
15529 Substring matching.
15532 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15561 Greater than number.
15566 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15567 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15568 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15572 Temporary score entry.
15575 Permanent score entry.
15578 Immediately scoring.
15583 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15584 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15585 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15586 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15588 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15589 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15590 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15591 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15592 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15594 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15595 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15596 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15597 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15598 current score file.
15600 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15601 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15602 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15605 @node Group Score Commands
15606 @section Group Score Commands
15607 @cindex group score commands
15609 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15614 @kindex W f (Group)
15615 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15616 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15617 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15618 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15622 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15624 @findex gnus-batch-score
15625 @cindex batch scoring
15627 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15631 @node Score Variables
15632 @section Score Variables
15633 @cindex score variables
15637 @item gnus-use-scoring
15638 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15639 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15640 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15642 @item gnus-kill-killed
15643 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15644 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15645 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15646 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15647 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15648 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15649 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15651 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15652 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15653 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15654 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15655 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15657 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15658 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15659 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15660 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15662 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15663 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15664 @cindex score cache
15665 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15666 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15667 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
15668 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15669 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15670 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15673 @item gnus-save-score
15674 @vindex gnus-save-score
15675 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15676 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15677 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15679 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15680 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15681 across group visits.
15683 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15684 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15685 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15686 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15687 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15688 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15689 manually entered data.
15691 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15692 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15693 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15695 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15696 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15697 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15698 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15699 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15700 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15702 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15703 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15704 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15705 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15707 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15708 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15709 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15710 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15712 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15713 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15714 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15715 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15717 Predefined functions available are:
15720 @item gnus-score-find-single
15721 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15722 Only apply the group's own score file.
15724 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15725 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15726 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15727 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15728 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15729 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15730 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15731 then a regexp match is done.
15733 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15734 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15736 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15737 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15738 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15739 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15741 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15742 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15743 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15744 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15745 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
15749 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15750 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
15751 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
15752 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
15753 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
15754 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
15755 returned is the local score file. Phu.
15757 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
15758 overall score file, you could use the value
15760 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE")) 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
15763 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15764 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15765 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15766 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15767 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15769 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15770 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15771 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15772 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15773 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15774 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15775 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15778 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15779 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15780 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15782 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15783 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15784 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15785 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15786 threading---according to the current value of
15787 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15788 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15789 simplified in this manner.
15794 @node Score File Format
15795 @section Score File Format
15796 @cindex score file format
15798 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15799 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15800 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15802 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15806 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15808 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15810 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15812 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15817 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15821 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15822 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15823 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15824 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15828 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15829 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15831 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15832 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15833 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15835 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15840 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15841 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15842 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15843 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15844 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15845 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15846 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15847 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15848 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15849 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15850 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15851 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15852 to articles that matches these score entries.
15854 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15855 score entry has one to four elements.
15859 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15860 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15864 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15865 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15866 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15867 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15868 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15869 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15872 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15873 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15874 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15875 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15876 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15879 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15880 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15881 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15882 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15885 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15886 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15887 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15888 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15889 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15890 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15891 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15892 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
15893 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
15894 instead, if you feel like.
15897 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
15898 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
15900 These predicates are true if
15903 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
15906 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
15907 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
15914 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
15915 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
15916 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
15917 it's not. I think.)
15919 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
15920 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
15921 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
15922 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
15925 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
15926 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
15927 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
15928 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
15929 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
15930 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
15931 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
15935 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
15936 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
15937 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
15938 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
15939 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
15940 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
15941 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
15942 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
15945 @item Head, Body, All
15946 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
15950 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
15951 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
15952 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
15953 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
15954 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
15955 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
15956 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
15960 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
15961 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
15962 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
15963 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
15964 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
15965 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
15966 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
15967 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
15968 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
15969 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
15970 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
15974 @cindex Score File Atoms
15976 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15977 lower than this number will be marked as read.
15980 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15981 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
15983 @item mark-and-expunge
15984 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15985 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
15988 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
15989 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
15990 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
15991 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
15992 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
15995 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
15996 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
15999 @item exclude-files
16000 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
16001 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
16005 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
16006 ignored when handling global score files.
16009 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
16010 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
16011 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
16012 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
16015 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
16016 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
16017 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
16018 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
16020 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
16024 (mark-and-expunge -100)
16027 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
16028 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
16029 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
16030 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
16031 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
16033 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
16034 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
16035 scoring rules exist.
16038 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
16039 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
16040 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
16041 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
16042 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
16043 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
16044 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16045 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
16046 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
16047 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
16048 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
16052 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
16053 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
16054 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
16055 file for a number of groups.
16058 @cindex local variables
16059 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16060 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16061 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16062 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16063 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16067 @node Score File Editing
16068 @section Score File Editing
16070 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16071 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16072 with a mode for that.
16074 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16075 additional commands:
16080 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16081 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16082 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16083 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16086 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16087 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16088 Insert the current date in numerical format
16089 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16090 you were wondering.
16093 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16094 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16095 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16096 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16097 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16102 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16104 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16105 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16107 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16108 e} to begin editing score files.
16111 @node Adaptive Scoring
16112 @section Adaptive Scoring
16113 @cindex adaptive scoring
16115 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16116 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16117 stupidity, to be precise.
16119 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16120 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16121 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16122 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16123 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16124 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16125 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16126 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16127 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16129 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16130 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16131 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16132 might look something like this:
16135 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16136 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16137 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16138 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16139 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16140 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16141 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16142 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16143 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16144 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16145 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16146 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16149 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16150 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16151 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16152 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16153 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16154 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16157 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16158 will be applied to each article.
16160 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16161 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16162 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16163 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16165 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16166 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16167 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16168 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16170 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16171 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16172 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16173 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16175 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16176 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16177 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16178 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16179 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16180 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16182 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16183 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16184 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16185 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16186 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16187 aspirins afterwards.)
16189 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16190 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16191 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16193 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16194 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16195 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16197 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16198 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16199 let you use different rules in different groups.
16201 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16202 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16203 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16206 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16207 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16208 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16209 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16210 the length of the match is less than
16211 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16212 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16215 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16216 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16217 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16218 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16219 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16222 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16223 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16224 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16225 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16226 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16229 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16230 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16231 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16232 score with 30 points.
16234 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16235 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16236 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16237 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16238 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16240 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
16241 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
16242 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
16243 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
16244 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
16246 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16247 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16248 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16249 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16251 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16252 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16253 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16254 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16256 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16257 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16258 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16259 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16260 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16262 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16263 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16264 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16266 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16267 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16268 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16269 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16272 @node Home Score File
16273 @section Home Score File
16275 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16276 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16277 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16278 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16280 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16281 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16282 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16284 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16285 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16290 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16294 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16295 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16299 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16303 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16304 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
16307 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16308 the home score file.
16311 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16314 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16319 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16322 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16323 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16326 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16327 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16329 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16331 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16332 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16335 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16336 Other functions include
16339 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16340 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16341 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16342 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16346 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16347 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16348 their own home score files:
16351 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16352 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16353 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16354 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16355 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16358 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16359 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16360 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16361 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16362 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16364 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16365 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16366 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16367 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16368 precedence over this variable.
16371 @node Followups To Yourself
16372 @section Followups To Yourself
16374 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16375 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16376 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16377 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16378 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16379 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16383 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16384 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16385 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16388 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16389 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16390 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16394 @vindex message-sent-hook
16395 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16396 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16398 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16402 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16403 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16407 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16408 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16411 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16412 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16417 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16421 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16422 is system-dependent.
16426 @section Scoring Tips
16427 @cindex scoring tips
16433 @cindex scoring crossposts
16434 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16435 the @code{Xref} header.
16437 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16440 @item Multiple crossposts
16441 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16442 more than, say, 3 groups:
16444 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
16447 @item Matching on the body
16448 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16449 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16450 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16451 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16452 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16453 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16454 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16457 @item Marking as read
16458 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16459 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16460 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16464 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16466 @item Negated character classes
16467 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16468 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16469 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16473 @node Reverse Scoring
16474 @section Reverse Scoring
16475 @cindex reverse scoring
16477 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16478 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16479 like this in your score file:
16483 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16488 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16489 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16492 @node Global Score Files
16493 @section Global Score Files
16494 @cindex global score files
16496 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16497 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16498 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16500 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16501 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16502 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16504 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16505 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16506 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16507 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16508 files are applicable to which group.
16510 Say you want to use the score file
16511 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16512 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
16515 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16516 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16517 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16520 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16521 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16522 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16523 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16524 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16526 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16527 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16529 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16530 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16531 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16532 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16533 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16534 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16536 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16542 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16544 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16546 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16548 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16549 lowered out of existence.
16551 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16552 articles completely.
16555 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16556 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16557 old articles for a long time.
16560 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16561 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16562 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16563 holding our breath yet?
16567 @section Kill Files
16570 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16571 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16572 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16574 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16575 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16576 files into score files.
16578 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16579 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16580 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16581 that isn't a very good idea.
16583 Normal kill files look like this:
16586 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16587 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16591 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16592 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16594 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16595 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16598 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16603 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16604 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16605 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16608 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16609 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16610 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16613 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16618 @kindex M-k (Group)
16619 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16620 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16623 @kindex M-K (Group)
16624 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16625 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16628 Kill file variables:
16631 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16632 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16633 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16634 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16635 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16636 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16637 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16639 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16640 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16641 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16642 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16645 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16646 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16647 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16648 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16649 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16650 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16651 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16652 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16653 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16655 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16656 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16657 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16662 @node Converting Kill Files
16663 @section Converting Kill Files
16665 @cindex converting kill files
16667 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16668 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16669 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16672 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16673 You can fetch it from
16674 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16676 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16677 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16678 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16686 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16687 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16688 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16690 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16691 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16692 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16693 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16694 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16695 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16696 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16697 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16701 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16702 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16703 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16704 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16708 @node Using GroupLens
16709 @subsection Using GroupLens
16711 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16713 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16714 better bit in town at the moment.
16716 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16720 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16721 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16722 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16723 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16725 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16726 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16727 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16728 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16730 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16731 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16732 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16736 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16737 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16738 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16739 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16740 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16741 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16744 @node Rating Articles
16745 @subsection Rating Articles
16747 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16748 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16749 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16750 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16753 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16758 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16759 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16760 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16763 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16764 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16765 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16766 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16767 threads in rec.humor.
16771 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16772 the score of the article you're reading.
16777 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16778 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16779 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16782 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16783 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16784 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16788 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16789 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16792 @node Displaying Predictions
16793 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16795 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16796 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16797 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16798 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16799 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16801 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16802 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16803 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16804 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16805 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16806 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16807 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16808 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16809 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16810 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16811 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16812 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16813 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16815 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16816 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16817 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16818 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16820 The following are valid values for that variable.
16823 @item prediction-spot
16824 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16827 @item confidence-interval
16828 A numeric confidence interval.
16830 @item prediction-bar
16831 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16833 @item confidence-bar
16834 Numerical confidence.
16836 @item confidence-spot
16837 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16839 @item prediction-num
16840 Plain-old numeric value.
16842 @item confidence-plus-minus
16843 Prediction +/- confidence.
16848 @node GroupLens Variables
16849 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16853 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16854 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16855 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16856 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16859 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16860 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16863 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16864 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16866 @item grouplens-score-offset
16867 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16868 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16871 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16872 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16873 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16878 @node Advanced Scoring
16879 @section Advanced Scoring
16881 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16882 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16883 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16884 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16885 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16887 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
16891 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
16892 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
16893 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
16897 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
16898 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
16900 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
16901 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
16902 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
16903 non-@code{nil} value.
16905 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
16906 operator, and various match operators.
16913 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16914 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
16915 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
16920 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16921 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
16922 then this operator will return @code{false}.
16927 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
16928 logical negation of the value of its argument.
16932 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
16933 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
16934 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
16935 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
16936 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
16937 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
16938 the ancestry you want to go.
16940 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
16941 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
16942 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
16943 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
16944 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
16947 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
16948 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
16950 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
16951 when he's talking about Gnus:
16955 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16956 ("subject" "Gnus"))
16962 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
16966 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16973 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
16974 really don't want to read what he's written:
16978 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16979 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
16983 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
16984 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
16985 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
16992 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
16993 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
16994 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
16995 ("body" "white.*socks"))
16999 The possibilities are endless.
17002 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
17003 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
17005 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
17006 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
17007 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
17008 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
17009 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
17010 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
17011 @samp{subject}) first.
17013 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
17014 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
17025 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
17026 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
17032 ("subject" "Gnus")))
17039 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
17040 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
17045 @section Score Decays
17046 @cindex score decays
17049 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
17050 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
17051 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
17052 use them in any sensible way.
17054 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
17055 @findex gnus-decay-score
17056 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
17057 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
17058 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
17059 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
17060 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
17061 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
17062 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
17063 definition of that function:
17066 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17068 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17069 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17072 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17074 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17076 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17079 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17080 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17081 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17082 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17086 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17089 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17092 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17096 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17097 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17098 the new score, which should be an integer.
17100 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17101 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17108 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17109 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17110 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17111 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17112 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17113 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17114 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17115 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17116 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17117 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17118 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17119 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17120 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17121 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17122 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17123 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17124 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17125 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17129 @node Process/Prefix
17130 @section Process/Prefix
17131 @cindex process/prefix convention
17133 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17134 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17136 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17137 command to be performed on.
17141 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17142 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17143 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17144 with the current one.
17146 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17147 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17148 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17150 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17151 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17154 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17155 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17157 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17160 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17161 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17162 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17163 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17165 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17166 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17167 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17168 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17169 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17170 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17171 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17172 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17174 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17175 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17176 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17177 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17178 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17182 @section Interactive
17183 @cindex interaction
17187 @item gnus-novice-user
17188 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17189 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17190 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17191 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17192 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17195 @item gnus-expert-user
17196 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17197 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17198 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17199 matter how strange.
17201 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17202 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17203 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17204 is @code{t} by default.
17206 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17207 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17208 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17213 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17214 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17215 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17217 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17218 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17219 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17220 rule of 900 to the current article.
17222 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17223 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17224 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17225 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17226 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17227 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17228 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17230 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17231 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17232 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17233 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17234 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17235 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17236 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17237 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17238 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17240 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17241 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17242 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17244 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17248 @node Formatting Variables
17249 @section Formatting Variables
17250 @cindex formatting variables
17252 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17253 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17254 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17255 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17256 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17259 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17260 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17261 lots of percentages everywhere.
17264 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17265 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17266 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17267 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17268 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17271 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17272 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17273 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17274 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17275 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17276 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17277 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17278 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17280 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17281 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17283 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17284 @findex gnus-update-format
17285 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17286 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17287 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17288 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17292 @node Formatting Basics
17293 @subsection Formatting Basics
17295 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17296 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17297 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17299 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17300 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17301 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17302 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17303 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17306 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17307 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17308 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17309 less than 4 characters wide.
17312 @node Mode Line Formatting
17313 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17315 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17316 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17317 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17318 with the following two differences:
17323 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17326 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17327 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17328 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17329 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17330 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17331 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17332 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17337 @node Advanced Formatting
17338 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17340 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17341 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17342 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17343 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17345 These are the valid modifiers:
17350 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17354 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17359 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17362 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17367 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17370 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17373 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17376 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17380 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17381 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17382 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17383 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17384 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17385 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17386 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17388 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17389 last operation, padding.
17391 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17392 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
17393 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
17394 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
17395 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
17396 the look of your lines.
17397 @xref{Compilation}.
17400 @node User-Defined Specs
17401 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17403 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17404 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17405 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17406 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17407 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17408 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17409 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17410 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17411 should protect against that.
17413 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17414 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17415 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17416 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17420 @node Formatting Fonts
17421 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17423 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17424 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17425 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17426 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17429 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17430 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17431 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17432 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17433 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17434 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17436 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17437 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17438 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17439 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17440 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17441 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17442 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17443 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17445 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17448 ;; Create three face types.
17449 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17450 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17452 ;; We want the article count to be in
17453 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17454 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17455 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17457 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17458 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17460 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17461 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17462 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17465 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17466 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17468 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17469 mode-line variables.
17472 @node Windows Configuration
17473 @section Windows Configuration
17474 @cindex windows configuration
17476 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17478 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17479 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17480 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17481 @code{t} by default.
17483 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17484 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17486 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17487 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17488 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17491 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17492 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17493 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17497 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17498 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17499 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17500 possible names is listed below.
17502 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17503 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17506 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17510 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17511 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17512 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17513 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17514 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17515 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17516 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17517 size spec per split.
17519 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17520 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17521 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17522 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17523 present) gets focus.
17525 Here's a more complicated example:
17528 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17529 (summary 0.25 point)
17530 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17534 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17535 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17536 occupy, not a percentage.
17538 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17539 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17540 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17541 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17542 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17545 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17548 (article (horizontal 1.0
17553 (summary 0.25 point)
17558 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17559 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17561 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17562 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17563 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17564 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17565 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17567 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17568 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17569 lines from the splits.
17571 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17575 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17576 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17577 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17578 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17579 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17580 size = number | frame-params
17581 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
17584 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17585 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17586 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17587 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17589 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17590 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17591 @cindex window height
17592 @cindex window width
17593 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17594 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17595 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17596 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17597 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17598 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17600 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17601 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17602 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17603 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17605 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17606 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17607 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17608 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17609 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17610 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17611 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17612 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17613 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17614 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17615 configuration list.
17618 (gnus-configure-frame
17622 (article 0.3 point))
17630 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17631 @code{frame} split:
17634 (gnus-configure-frame
17637 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17639 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17640 (user-position . t)
17641 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17646 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17647 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17648 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17649 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17650 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17651 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17652 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17653 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17655 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17656 be found in its default value.
17658 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17659 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17660 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17664 (message (horizontal 1.0
17665 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17667 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17672 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17673 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17674 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17677 (message (frame 1.0
17678 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17679 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17680 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17681 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17682 (name . "Message"))
17683 (message 1.0 point))))
17686 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17687 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17688 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17689 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17690 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17693 (gnus-add-configuration
17694 '(article (vertical 1.0
17696 (summary .25 point)
17700 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17701 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17702 Gnus has been loaded.
17704 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17705 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17706 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17707 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17708 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17710 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17711 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17712 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17715 @subsection Example Window Configurations
17719 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
17720 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
17735 (gnus-add-configuration
17738 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17740 (summary 0.16 point)
17743 (gnus-add-configuration
17746 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17747 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
17753 @node Faces and Fonts
17754 @section Faces and Fonts
17759 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17760 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17761 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17766 @section Compilation
17767 @cindex compilation
17768 @cindex byte-compilation
17770 @findex gnus-compile
17772 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17773 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17774 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
17775 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
17776 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
17777 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17778 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17779 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17782 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17783 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17784 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17785 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
17786 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17789 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
17790 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17791 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
17792 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
17793 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
17798 @section Mode Lines
17801 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17802 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17803 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17804 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17805 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17806 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17807 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17810 @cindex display-time
17812 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17813 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17814 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17815 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17816 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17817 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17818 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17819 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17822 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17824 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17825 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17827 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17828 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17829 (length display-time-string)))))
17832 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17833 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17834 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17835 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17836 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17839 @node Highlighting and Menus
17840 @section Highlighting and Menus
17842 @cindex highlighting
17845 @vindex gnus-visual
17846 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17847 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17848 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17851 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17852 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17855 @item group-highlight
17856 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17857 @item summary-highlight
17858 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17859 @item article-highlight
17860 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17862 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17864 Create menus in the group buffer.
17866 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17868 Create menus in the article buffer.
17870 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17872 Create menus in the server buffer.
17874 Create menus in the score buffers.
17876 Create menus in all buffers.
17879 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17880 buffers, you could say something like:
17883 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17886 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
17889 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
17892 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
17893 in all Gnus buffers.
17895 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
17898 @item gnus-mouse-face
17899 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
17900 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
17901 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
17905 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
17909 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
17910 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
17911 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
17913 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
17914 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
17915 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
17917 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
17918 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
17919 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
17921 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
17922 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
17923 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
17925 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
17926 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
17927 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
17929 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
17930 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
17931 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
17942 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
17943 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
17944 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
17945 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
17946 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
17950 @vindex gnus-carpal
17951 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
17952 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
17953 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
17958 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17959 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17960 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
17962 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
17963 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
17964 Face used on buttons.
17966 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
17967 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
17968 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
17970 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17971 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17972 Buttons in the group buffer.
17974 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17975 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17976 Buttons in the summary buffer.
17978 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17979 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17980 Buttons in the server buffer.
17982 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17983 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17984 Buttons in the browse buffer.
17987 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
17988 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
17989 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
17997 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
17998 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
17999 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
18000 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
18001 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
18003 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
18004 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
18005 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
18007 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
18008 been idle for thirty minutes:
18011 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
18014 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
18018 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
18021 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
18022 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
18023 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18025 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
18026 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
18027 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
18028 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18030 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
18031 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
18032 @var{idle} minutes.
18034 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
18035 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
18038 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
18039 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
18040 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
18042 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
18043 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
18044 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
18045 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
18047 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
18048 your @file{.gnus} file:
18050 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
18052 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
18055 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
18056 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
18057 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
18058 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
18059 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
18060 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
18061 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
18062 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
18063 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
18064 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
18065 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18067 @findex gnus-demon-init
18068 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18069 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18070 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18071 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18072 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18074 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18075 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18076 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18085 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18086 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18088 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18089 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18090 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18091 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18094 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18095 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18096 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18097 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18099 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18100 this will make spam disappear.
18102 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18105 @item gnus-use-nocem
18106 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18107 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18110 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18111 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18112 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18113 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18114 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18116 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18117 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18118 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18119 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18120 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18121 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18123 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18124 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18126 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18127 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18128 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18129 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18130 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18131 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18132 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18133 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18134 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18135 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18137 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18138 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18141 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18144 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18145 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18148 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18151 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18154 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18155 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18157 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18158 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18159 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18160 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18162 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18163 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18166 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18168 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18176 This might be dangerous, though.
18178 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18179 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18180 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18181 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18183 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18184 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18185 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18186 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18187 might then see old spam.
18189 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18190 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18191 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18192 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18193 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18196 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18197 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18198 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18199 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18203 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18204 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18205 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18206 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18213 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18214 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18215 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18217 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18218 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18219 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18220 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18221 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18222 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18223 @code{undo} function.
18225 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18226 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18227 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18228 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18229 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18230 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18231 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18232 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18233 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18234 never be totally undoable.
18236 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18237 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18239 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18240 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18241 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
18242 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18247 @section Moderation
18250 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18251 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18252 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18255 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18259 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18262 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18264 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18269 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18270 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18271 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18274 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18275 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18278 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18279 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18283 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18286 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18287 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18291 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18292 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18295 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18299 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18300 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18301 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18302 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18315 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18316 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18317 over your shoulder as you read news.
18320 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18321 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18322 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18323 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18324 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18329 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18331 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18340 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18341 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18342 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18343 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18344 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18345 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18346 @code{GIF} formats.
18349 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18350 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18351 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18352 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18353 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18355 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18356 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18357 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18358 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18359 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18360 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18363 @node Picon Requirements
18364 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18366 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18367 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18370 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18371 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18372 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18374 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18375 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18376 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18377 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18378 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18382 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18384 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18385 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18388 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18389 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18392 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18393 containing the Picons databases.
18395 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18398 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18399 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18404 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18412 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18413 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18414 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18415 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18416 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18421 @item gnus-picons-database
18422 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18423 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18424 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18425 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18426 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18427 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18429 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18430 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18431 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18432 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18433 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18434 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18435 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18437 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18438 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18439 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18440 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18441 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18442 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18443 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18444 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18446 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18447 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18448 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18453 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18454 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18456 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18457 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18460 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18462 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18463 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18464 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18465 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18467 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18468 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18469 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18475 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18476 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18484 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18485 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18486 don't need to worry about.
18490 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18491 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18492 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18493 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18495 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18496 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18497 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18498 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18500 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18501 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18502 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18503 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18504 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18506 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18507 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18508 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18509 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18510 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18511 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18512 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18514 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18515 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18516 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18517 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18519 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18520 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18521 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18522 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18523 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18524 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18525 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18527 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18528 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18529 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18530 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18532 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18533 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18534 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18535 Defaults to @code{t}.
18537 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18538 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18539 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18540 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18542 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18543 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18544 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18546 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18547 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18548 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18549 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18551 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18552 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18554 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18555 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18556 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18557 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18558 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18559 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18560 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18561 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18572 @subsection Smileys
18577 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18582 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18583 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18585 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18586 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18589 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18592 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18593 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18594 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18595 text and maps that to file names.
18597 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18598 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18599 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18600 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18601 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18602 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18604 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18605 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18607 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18608 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18609 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18611 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18612 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18616 @item smiley-data-directory
18617 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18618 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18620 @item smiley-flesh-color
18621 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18622 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18624 @item smiley-features-color
18625 @vindex smiley-features-color
18626 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18628 @item smiley-tongue-color
18629 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18630 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18632 @item smiley-circle-color
18633 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18634 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18636 @item smiley-mouse-face
18637 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18638 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18644 @subsection Toolbar
18654 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18655 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18656 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18657 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18658 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18660 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18661 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18662 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18664 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18665 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18666 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18668 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18669 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18670 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18676 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18679 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18680 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18681 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18682 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18683 unusual directory structure.
18685 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18686 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18687 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18688 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18690 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18691 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18692 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18693 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18694 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18695 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18697 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18698 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18699 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18713 @node Fuzzy Matching
18714 @section Fuzzy Matching
18715 @cindex fuzzy matching
18717 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18718 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18720 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18721 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18722 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18724 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18725 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18726 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18727 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18728 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18731 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18732 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18736 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18738 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18739 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18740 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18741 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18742 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18743 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18744 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18745 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18748 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18749 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18750 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18751 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18752 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18753 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18757 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18758 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18760 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18761 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18762 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18763 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18764 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18765 part of the mail address.)
18768 (setq message-default-news-headers
18769 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18772 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18773 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18778 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18779 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18780 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18786 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18787 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18788 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18789 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18791 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18792 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18793 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18794 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18795 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18796 your fancy split rule in this way:
18801 (to "larsi" "misc")
18805 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18806 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18807 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18808 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18809 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18811 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18812 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18813 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
18814 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18815 cosmic balance somewhat.
18817 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18818 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18819 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18820 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18823 @node Various Various
18824 @section Various Various
18830 @item gnus-home-directory
18831 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18832 defaults to @file{~/}.
18834 @item gnus-directory
18835 @vindex gnus-directory
18836 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18837 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18838 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18840 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18841 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18842 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18843 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18845 @item gnus-default-directory
18846 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18847 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18848 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18849 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18850 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18851 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18852 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18855 @vindex gnus-verbose
18856 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18857 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18858 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18859 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18860 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18862 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18863 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18864 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18865 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18867 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18868 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18869 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18870 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18871 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18872 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18873 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18874 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18875 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18876 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18878 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18879 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18880 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18881 read when doing the operation described above.
18883 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18884 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18886 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18887 @cindex characters in file names
18888 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
18889 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
18890 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
18893 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18897 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
18898 Windows (phooey) systems.
18900 @item gnus-hidden-properties
18901 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
18902 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
18903 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
18904 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
18906 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
18907 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
18908 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
18909 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
18910 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
18912 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
18913 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
18914 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
18916 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18917 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18919 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
18920 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
18921 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
18922 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
18925 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
18934 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
18935 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
18937 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
18939 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
18945 Not because of victories @*
18948 but for the common sunshine,@*
18950 the largess of the spring.
18954 but for the day's work done@*
18955 as well as I was able;@*
18956 not for a seat upon the dais@*
18957 but at the common table.@*
18962 @chapter Appendices
18965 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
18966 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
18967 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
18968 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
18969 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
18970 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
18971 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
18972 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
18980 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
18981 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
18983 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
18984 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
18985 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
18986 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
18987 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
18989 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
18990 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
18991 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
18992 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
18993 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
18994 appropriate name, don't you think?)
18996 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
18997 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
18998 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
18999 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
19002 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
19003 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
19004 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
19005 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
19006 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
19007 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
19008 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
19009 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
19010 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
19014 @node Gnus Versions
19015 @subsection Gnus Versions
19016 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
19018 @cindex September Gnus
19019 @cindex Quassia Gnus
19021 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
19022 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
19023 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
19025 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
19026 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
19028 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
19029 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
19031 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
19032 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
19034 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
19035 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
19038 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
19040 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
19041 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
19042 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
19043 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
19044 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
19045 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
19048 @node Other Gnus Versions
19049 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
19052 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
19053 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
19054 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
19055 @sc{mime} capabilities.
19057 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
19058 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
19059 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
19060 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19067 What's the point of Gnus?
19069 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19070 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19071 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19072 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19073 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19074 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19075 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19076 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19077 keep track of millions of people who post?
19079 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19080 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19081 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19082 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19083 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19084 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19085 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19086 every one of you to explore and invent.
19088 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19089 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19092 @node Compatibility
19093 @subsection Compatibility
19095 @cindex compatibility
19096 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19097 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19098 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19103 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19107 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19110 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19113 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19114 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19115 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19116 important variables have their values copied into their global
19117 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19118 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19120 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19121 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19122 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19123 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19124 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19128 @cindex highlighting
19129 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19130 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19131 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19132 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19133 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19134 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19137 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19138 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19139 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19140 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19142 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19143 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19144 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19145 to stop doing it the old way.
19147 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19149 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19151 @cindex reporting bugs
19153 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19154 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19155 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19157 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19158 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19159 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19160 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19165 @subsection Conformity
19167 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19168 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19175 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19179 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19181 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19182 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19183 We do have some breaches to this one.
19189 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19190 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19191 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19192 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19193 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19198 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19199 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19200 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19201 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19205 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19206 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19211 @subsection Emacsen
19217 Gnus should work on :
19225 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
19229 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19230 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19231 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
19232 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
19233 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
19235 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19236 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19237 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19241 @node Gnus Development
19242 @subsection Gnus Development
19244 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19245 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19246 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19247 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19248 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19249 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19250 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19251 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19253 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19254 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19255 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19256 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19257 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19260 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19261 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19262 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19263 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19264 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19266 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19267 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19268 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19269 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19270 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19271 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19272 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19273 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19274 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19275 can't be assumed to do so.
19280 @subsection Contributors
19281 @cindex contributors
19283 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19284 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19285 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19286 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19287 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19288 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19289 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19290 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19291 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19292 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19294 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19300 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19303 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19304 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19305 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19306 functionality and stuff.
19309 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19310 well as numerous other things).
19313 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19316 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19319 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19322 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19323 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19326 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19329 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19330 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19333 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19336 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19339 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19342 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19345 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19346 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19349 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19352 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19355 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19358 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19362 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19365 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19368 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19371 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19372 well as autoconf support.
19376 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19377 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19379 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19388 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19392 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19402 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19417 Massimo Campostrini,
19422 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19423 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19427 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19430 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19436 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19441 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19445 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19453 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19455 Michelangelo Grigni,
19459 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19461 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19463 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19470 François Felix Ingrand,
19471 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19472 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19474 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19485 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19486 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19488 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19489 Thor Kristoffersen,
19492 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19510 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19511 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19518 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19523 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19527 John McClary Prevost,
19533 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19538 Christian von Roques,
19541 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19548 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19550 Randal L. Schwartz,
19564 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19569 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19585 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19590 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19591 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19592 (550kB and counting).
19594 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19597 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19598 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19602 @subsection New Features
19603 @cindex new features
19606 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19607 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19608 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19609 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19610 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19613 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19614 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19615 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19618 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19620 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19625 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19626 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19629 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19630 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19633 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19636 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19637 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19638 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19641 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19642 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19643 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19644 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19647 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19648 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19651 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19652 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19653 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19656 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19657 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19660 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19661 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19662 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19665 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19666 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19667 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19670 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19671 the @file{.emacs} file.
19674 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19675 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19678 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19679 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19682 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19683 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19686 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19687 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19690 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19691 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19694 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19697 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19698 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19701 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19702 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19705 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19706 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19709 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19712 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19713 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19716 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19720 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19724 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19725 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19728 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19734 @node September Gnus
19735 @subsubsection September Gnus
19739 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19743 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19748 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19749 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19753 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19754 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19758 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19762 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19763 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19766 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19770 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19773 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19776 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19779 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19783 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19784 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19787 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19791 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19795 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19799 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19803 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19806 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19807 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19810 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19814 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19815 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19818 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19821 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19822 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19823 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19826 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19830 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19833 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19837 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19838 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19841 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19842 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19845 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19846 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19849 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19850 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19851 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19854 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19855 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19858 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19861 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19864 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19867 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19870 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19871 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19874 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19878 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19881 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19886 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
19889 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
19893 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19896 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
19900 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
19903 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
19906 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
19907 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19910 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
19911 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
19915 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
19916 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
19919 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
19923 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
19924 buffer to allow easier treatment.
19927 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
19930 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
19934 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
19938 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
19939 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
19942 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
19946 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
19947 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19950 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
19951 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19954 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
19958 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19961 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
19964 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
19970 @subsubsection Red Gnus
19972 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
19976 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
19983 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
19986 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
19987 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19990 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
19991 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
19995 Article washing status can be displayed in the
19996 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
19999 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
20002 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
20003 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
20006 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
20010 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
20011 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
20015 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
20016 Server Internals}).
20019 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
20023 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
20026 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
20027 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
20030 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
20031 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
20032 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
20035 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
20036 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20039 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
20040 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
20043 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
20047 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
20048 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20051 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
20052 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20055 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
20059 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
20062 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20066 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20067 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20070 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20071 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20074 A new command for reading collections of documents
20075 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20076 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20079 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20083 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20084 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20087 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20088 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20089 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20092 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20093 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20097 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20101 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20105 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20110 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20114 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20118 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20119 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20122 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20128 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20130 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20135 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20136 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20137 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20140 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20141 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20142 group, which is created automatically.
20145 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20149 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20152 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20153 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20156 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20160 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20163 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20164 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20167 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20170 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20171 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20174 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20175 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20178 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20179 control over simplification.
20182 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20185 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20189 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20192 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20195 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20196 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20197 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20200 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20201 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20204 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20208 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20209 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20212 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20213 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20216 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20220 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20223 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20226 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20227 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20230 A new function for citing in Message has been
20231 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20234 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20237 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20241 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20242 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20245 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20246 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20249 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20252 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20256 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20257 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20259 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20263 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20264 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20266 If you used procmail like in
20269 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20270 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20271 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20272 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20275 this now has changed to
20279 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20283 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20284 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20286 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20287 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20289 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20290 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20292 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20293 called to position point.
20295 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20296 summary buffers and NOV files.
20298 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20299 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20301 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20302 subtly different manner.
20304 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20305 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20306 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20308 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20316 @section The Manual
20320 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20321 either @code{texi2dvi}
20323 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20324 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20326 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20328 The following conventions have been used:
20333 This is a @samp{string}
20336 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20339 This is a @file{file}
20342 This is a @code{symbol}
20346 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20350 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20353 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20356 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20359 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20360 ever get them confused.
20364 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20365 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20366 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20367 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20368 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20369 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20370 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20376 @node On Writing Manuals
20377 @section On Writing Manuals
20379 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20380 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20381 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20382 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20383 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20384 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20387 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20388 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20389 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20392 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20393 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20398 @section Terminology
20400 @cindex terminology
20405 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20406 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20407 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20408 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20409 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20413 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20414 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20415 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20416 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20420 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20424 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20429 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20430 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20431 is all done by the backends.
20435 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20436 default, way of getting news.
20440 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20441 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20446 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20447 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20451 A message that has been posted as news.
20454 @cindex mail message
20455 A message that has been mailed.
20459 A mail message or news article
20463 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20468 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20473 A line from the head of an article.
20477 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20478 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20482 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20483 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20484 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20485 normal @sc{head} format.
20489 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20490 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20491 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20492 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20493 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20494 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20496 @item killed groups
20497 @cindex killed groups
20498 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20499 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20501 @item zombie groups
20502 @cindex zombie groups
20503 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20506 @cindex active file
20507 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20508 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20509 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20512 @cindex bogus groups
20513 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20514 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20515 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20518 @cindex activating groups
20519 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20520 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20521 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20525 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20527 @item select method
20528 @cindex select method
20529 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20532 @item virtual server
20533 @cindex virtual server
20534 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20535 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20536 whole is a virtual server.
20540 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20541 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20544 @item ephemeral groups
20545 @cindex ephemeral groups
20546 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20547 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20548 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20551 @cindex solid groups
20552 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20553 group buffer are solid groups.
20555 @item sparse articles
20556 @cindex sparse articles
20557 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20558 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20562 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20563 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20567 @cindex thread root
20568 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20569 articles in the thread.
20573 An article that has responses.
20577 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20581 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20582 specified by RFC 1153.
20588 @node Customization
20589 @section Customization
20590 @cindex general customization
20592 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20593 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20594 for some quite common situations.
20597 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20598 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20599 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20600 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20604 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20605 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20607 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20608 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20609 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20613 @item gnus-read-active-file
20614 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20615 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20616 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20617 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20618 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20620 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20621 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20622 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20623 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20627 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20628 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20630 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20631 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20632 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20636 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20637 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20638 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20639 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20640 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20642 @item gnus-visible-headers
20643 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20644 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20645 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20646 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20648 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20650 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20651 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20652 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20655 @item gnus-use-full-window
20656 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20657 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20658 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20659 want to read them anyway.
20661 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20662 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20665 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20666 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20667 lines, which might save some time.
20671 @node Little Disk Space
20672 @subsection Little Disk Space
20675 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20676 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20680 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20681 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20682 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20683 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20686 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20687 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20688 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20689 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20692 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20693 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20694 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20695 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20696 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20702 @subsection Slow Machine
20703 @cindex slow machine
20705 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20706 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20708 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20709 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20711 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20712 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20713 summary buffer faster.
20717 @node Troubleshooting
20718 @section Troubleshooting
20719 @cindex troubleshooting
20721 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20729 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20732 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20733 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20737 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20738 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
20739 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
20740 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
20741 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20744 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20748 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20749 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20750 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20751 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20752 something like that.
20755 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20758 @cindex reporting bugs
20760 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20762 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20763 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20764 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20765 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20767 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20768 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20769 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20770 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20773 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20774 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20775 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20776 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20777 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20778 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20780 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20781 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20782 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20785 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20786 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20788 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20789 @cindex ding mailing list
20790 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20791 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20795 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20796 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20798 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20799 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20800 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20801 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20804 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20805 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20806 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20807 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20808 and general methods of operation.
20811 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20812 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20813 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20814 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20815 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20816 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20817 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20818 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20819 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20823 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20824 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20825 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20826 @cindex utility functions
20828 @cindex internal variables
20830 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20831 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20832 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20836 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20837 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20838 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20840 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20841 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20842 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20844 @item gnus-group-real-name
20845 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20846 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20849 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20850 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20851 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20852 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20854 @item gnus-get-info
20855 @findex gnus-get-info
20856 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20858 @item gnus-group-unread
20859 @findex gnus-group-unread
20860 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20864 @findex gnus-active
20865 The active entry for @var{group}.
20867 @item gnus-set-active
20868 @findex gnus-set-active
20869 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20871 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20872 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20873 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20876 @item gnus-continuum-version
20877 @findex gnus-continuum-version
20878 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
20879 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
20882 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
20883 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
20884 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
20886 @item gnus-news-group-p
20887 @findex gnus-news-group-p
20888 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
20890 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20891 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20892 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
20894 @item gnus-server-to-method
20895 @findex gnus-server-to-method
20896 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
20898 @item gnus-server-equal
20899 @findex gnus-server-equal
20900 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
20902 @item gnus-group-native-p
20903 @findex gnus-group-native-p
20904 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
20906 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
20907 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
20908 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
20910 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
20911 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
20912 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
20914 @item group-group-find-parameter
20915 @findex group-group-find-parameter
20916 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
20917 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
20919 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
20920 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
20921 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
20923 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
20924 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
20925 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
20927 @item gnus-check-backend-function
20928 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
20929 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
20930 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
20933 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
20937 @item gnus-read-method
20938 @findex gnus-read-method
20939 Prompts the user for a select method.
20944 @node Backend Interface
20945 @subsection Backend Interface
20947 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
20948 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
20949 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
20950 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
20951 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
20952 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
20954 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
20955 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
20956 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
20957 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
20958 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
20959 been opened, the function should fail.
20961 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
20962 name. Take this example:
20966 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
20967 (nntp-port-number 4324))
20970 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
20971 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
20973 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
20974 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
20975 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
20977 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
20978 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
20979 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
20981 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
20982 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
20983 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
20984 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
20985 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
20986 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
20989 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
20990 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
20991 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
20992 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
20995 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
20998 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21001 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21002 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21003 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21004 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21005 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21006 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21010 @node Required Backend Functions
21011 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21015 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21017 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21018 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21019 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21020 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21022 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21023 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21024 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21025 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21027 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21028 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21029 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21030 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21031 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21032 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21033 number, do maximum fetches.
21035 Here's an example HEAD:
21038 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21039 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21040 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21041 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21042 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21043 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21044 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21046 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21047 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21048 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21052 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21053 these in the data buffer.
21055 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21059 head = error / valid-head
21060 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21061 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21062 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21063 header = <text> eol
21066 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21067 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21071 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21072 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21073 field = <text except TAB>
21076 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21080 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21082 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21083 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21085 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21086 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21087 server. In fact, it should do so.
21089 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21090 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21093 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21095 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21096 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21099 There should be no data returned.
21102 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21104 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21105 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21106 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21107 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21109 There should be no data returned.
21112 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21114 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21115 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21116 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21117 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21119 There should be no data returned.
21122 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21124 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21126 There should be no data returned.
21129 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21131 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21132 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21133 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21134 it would be nice if that were possible.
21136 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21137 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21138 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21139 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21140 into its article buffer.
21142 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21143 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21144 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21145 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21146 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21147 on successful article retrieval.
21150 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21152 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21153 making @var{group} the current group.
21155 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21158 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21161 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21164 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21165 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21166 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21167 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21168 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21169 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21170 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21171 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21174 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21175 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21176 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21180 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21182 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21183 a no-op on most backends.
21185 There should be no data returned.
21188 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21190 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21193 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21196 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21197 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21200 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21201 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21204 active-file = *active-line
21205 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21207 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21210 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21211 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21212 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21215 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21217 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21218 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21219 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21220 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21221 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21222 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21224 There should be no result data from this function.
21229 @node Optional Backend Functions
21230 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21234 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21236 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21237 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21238 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21240 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21241 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21242 former is in the same format as the data from
21243 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21244 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21247 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21251 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21253 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21254 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21255 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21256 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21257 should return the (altered) group info.
21259 There should be no result data from this function.
21262 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21264 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21265 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21266 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21267 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21268 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21269 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21270 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21271 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21273 There should be no result data from this function.
21276 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21278 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21279 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21280 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21281 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21282 propagate the mark information to the server.
21284 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21287 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21290 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
21291 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21292 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21293 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21294 mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21295 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21296 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21297 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21298 not limit itself to these.
21300 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21301 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21302 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21303 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21305 An example action list:
21308 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21309 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21310 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21313 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21314 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21316 There should be no result data from this function.
21318 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21320 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21321 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21322 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21323 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21324 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21326 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21327 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21328 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21331 There should be no result data from this function.
21334 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21336 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21337 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21338 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21339 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21340 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21341 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21342 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21344 There should be no result data from this function.
21347 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21349 The result data from this function should be a description of
21353 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21355 description = <text>
21358 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21360 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21361 groups available on the server.
21364 description-buffer = *description-line
21368 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21370 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21371 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21372 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21375 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21377 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21379 There should be no return data.
21382 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21384 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21385 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21386 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21387 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21388 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21391 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21394 There should be no result data returned.
21397 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21400 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21401 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21403 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21404 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21405 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21406 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21407 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21408 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21410 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21411 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21414 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21415 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21417 There should be no data returned.
21420 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21422 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21423 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21424 this function in short order.
21426 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21427 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21429 There should be no data returned.
21432 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21434 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21435 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21437 There should be no data returned.
21440 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21442 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21443 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21444 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21446 There should be no data returned.
21449 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21451 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21452 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21454 There should be no data returned.
21459 @node Error Messaging
21460 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21462 @findex nnheader-report
21463 @findex nnheader-get-report
21464 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21465 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21466 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21467 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21468 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21469 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21472 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21474 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21477 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21478 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21479 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21480 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21482 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21483 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21484 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21487 @node Writing New Backends
21488 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21490 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21491 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21492 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21493 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21494 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21497 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21498 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21499 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21501 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21502 package called @code{nnoo}.
21504 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21505 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21511 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21512 parameters. For instance:
21515 (nnoo-declare nndir
21519 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21520 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21523 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21524 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21525 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21527 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21528 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21529 a function in those backends.
21532 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21533 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21534 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21537 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21538 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21539 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21541 @item nnoo-define-basics
21542 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21546 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21550 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21551 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21552 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21554 @item nnoo-map-functions
21555 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21556 functions from the parent backends.
21559 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21560 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21561 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21564 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21565 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21566 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21567 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21570 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21571 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21572 haven't already been defined.
21578 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21582 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21583 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21584 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21589 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21592 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21593 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21597 (require 'nnheader)
21601 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21603 (nnoo-declare nndir
21606 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21607 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21608 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21610 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21611 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21614 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21615 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21616 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21618 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21619 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21621 ;;; Interface functions.
21623 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21625 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21626 (setq nndir-directory
21627 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21629 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21630 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21631 (push `(nndir-current-group
21632 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21634 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21635 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21637 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21639 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21640 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21641 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21642 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21643 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21647 nnmh-status-message
21649 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21655 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21656 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21658 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21659 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21660 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21661 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21663 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21664 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21669 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21672 The abilities can be:
21676 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21678 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21680 This backend supports both mail and news.
21682 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21685 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21686 articles and groups.
21688 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21689 true for almost all backends.
21690 @item prompt-address
21691 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21692 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21693 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21697 @node Mail-like Backends
21698 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21700 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21701 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21702 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21703 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21706 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21707 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21708 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21711 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21712 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21715 This function takes four parameters.
21719 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21722 @item exit-function
21723 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21725 @item temp-directory
21726 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21729 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21730 performed for one group only.
21733 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21734 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21735 find the article number assigned to this article.
21737 The function also uses the following variables:
21738 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21739 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21740 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21741 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21745 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21746 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21750 @node Score File Syntax
21751 @subsection Score File Syntax
21753 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21754 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21755 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21757 Here's a typical score file:
21761 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21768 BNF definition of a score file:
21771 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21772 element = rule / atom
21773 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21774 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21775 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21776 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21778 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21779 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21780 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21781 date-header = "date"
21782 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21783 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21784 score = "nil" / <integer>
21785 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21786 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21787 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21788 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21789 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21790 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21791 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21792 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21793 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21794 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21795 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21796 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21797 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21798 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21799 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21800 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21801 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21802 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21803 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21804 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21805 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21806 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21807 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21808 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21809 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21810 eval = "eval" space <form>
21811 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21814 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21817 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21818 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21819 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21820 one looong line, then that's ok.
21822 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21823 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21827 @subsection Headers
21829 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21830 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21831 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21832 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21834 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21835 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21836 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21837 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21838 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21839 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21840 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21842 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21843 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21844 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21845 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21846 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21848 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21849 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21855 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21856 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21858 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21859 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21860 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21861 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21863 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21867 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21870 is transformed into
21873 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
21876 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
21877 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
21880 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
21883 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
21884 is slightly tricky:
21887 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
21893 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
21896 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
21902 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
21909 and is equal to the previous range.
21911 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
21912 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
21913 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
21917 range = simple-range / normal-range
21918 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
21919 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
21920 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
21921 number *[ " " contents ]
21924 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
21925 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
21926 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
21927 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
21928 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
21933 @subsection Group Info
21935 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
21936 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
21937 describes the group.
21939 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
21940 second is a more complex one:
21943 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
21945 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
21946 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
21948 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
21951 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
21952 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
21953 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
21954 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
21955 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
21956 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
21957 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
21958 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
21959 this section is about.
21961 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
21962 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
21963 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
21965 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
21968 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
21969 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
21970 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21971 group = quote <string> quote
21972 ralevel = rank / level
21973 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21974 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
21975 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21977 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
21978 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
21979 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
21980 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
21983 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
21984 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
21987 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
21988 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
21991 @item gnus-info-group
21992 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
21993 @findex gnus-info-group
21994 @findex gnus-info-set-group
21995 Get/set the group name.
21997 @item gnus-info-rank
21998 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
21999 @findex gnus-info-rank
22000 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22001 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22003 @item gnus-info-level
22004 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22005 @findex gnus-info-level
22006 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22007 Get/set the group level.
22009 @item gnus-info-score
22010 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22011 @findex gnus-info-score
22012 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22013 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22015 @item gnus-info-read
22016 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22017 @findex gnus-info-read
22018 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22019 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22021 @item gnus-info-marks
22022 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22023 @findex gnus-info-marks
22024 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22025 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22027 @item gnus-info-method
22028 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22029 @findex gnus-info-method
22030 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22031 Get/set the group select method.
22033 @item gnus-info-params
22034 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22035 @findex gnus-info-params
22036 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22037 Get/set the group parameters.
22040 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22041 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22043 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22044 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22045 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22046 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22049 @node Extended Interactive
22050 @subsection Extended Interactive
22051 @cindex interactive
22052 @findex gnus-interactive
22054 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22055 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22056 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22059 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22060 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22065 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22066 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22067 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22068 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22069 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22070 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22071 @code{interactive}.
22073 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22078 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22079 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22083 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22084 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22085 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22088 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22092 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22096 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22102 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22103 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22107 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22108 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22109 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22111 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22112 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22113 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22114 Gnus, that's very useful.
22116 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22117 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22118 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22119 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22120 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22121 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22122 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22123 following function:
22126 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22130 (,function ,@@args))
22134 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22135 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22136 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22139 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22140 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22141 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22143 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22144 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22145 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22148 @node Various File Formats
22149 @subsection Various File Formats
22152 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22153 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22157 @node Active File Format
22158 @subsubsection Active File Format
22160 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22161 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22164 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22167 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22168 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22169 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22170 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22171 no.general 1000 900 y
22174 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22177 active = *group-line
22178 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
22179 group = <non-white-space string>
22181 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22182 low-number = <positive integer>
22183 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22186 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22187 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22190 @node Newsgroups File Format
22191 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22193 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22194 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22195 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22198 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22199 Here's the definition:
22203 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22204 group = <non-white-space string>
22206 description = <string>
22211 @node Emacs for Heathens
22212 @section Emacs for Heathens
22214 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22215 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22216 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22217 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22218 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22219 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22220 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22224 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22225 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22230 @subsection Keystrokes
22234 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22237 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22240 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22241 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22242 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22243 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22244 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22245 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22247 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22248 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22249 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22250 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22251 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22252 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22253 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22255 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22256 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22257 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22258 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22259 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22260 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22261 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22263 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22264 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22265 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22266 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22267 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22273 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22275 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22276 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22277 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22278 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22280 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22281 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22282 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22283 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22284 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22285 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22286 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22289 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22290 write the following:
22293 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22296 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22297 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22298 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22301 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22302 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22303 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22304 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22305 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22307 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22308 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22309 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22313 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22317 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22320 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22321 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22324 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22327 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22328 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22331 @include gnus-faq.texi
22352 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22353 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22354 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22355 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22356 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref