4 @settitle T-gnus 6.16 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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287 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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296 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
298 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
301 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
302 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
303 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
304 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
305 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
306 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
307 License'' in the Emacs manual.
309 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
310 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
311 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
313 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
314 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
315 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
316 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
324 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
326 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
327 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
329 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
330 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
331 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
332 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
333 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
334 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
335 License'' in the Emacs manual.
337 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
338 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
339 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
341 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
342 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
343 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
344 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
350 @title T-gnus 6.16 Manual
352 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
355 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
356 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
358 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
360 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
361 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
362 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
363 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
364 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
365 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
366 License'' in the Emacs manual.
368 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
369 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
370 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
372 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
373 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
374 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
375 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
384 @top The gnus Newsreader
388 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using T-gnus. The news
389 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
390 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
393 T-gnus provides @acronym{MIME} features based on @acronym{SEMI} API. So
394 T-gnus supports your right to read strange messages including big images
395 or other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
396 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
397 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. Oh,
398 if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
400 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.16.
411 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
412 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
414 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
415 being accused of plagiarism:
417 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
418 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
419 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
420 can even read news with it!
422 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
423 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
424 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
425 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
426 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
432 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
433 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
434 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
435 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
436 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
437 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
438 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
439 * Various:: General purpose settings.
440 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
441 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
442 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
443 * Key Index:: Key Index.
445 Other related manuals
447 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
448 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
449 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
450 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
453 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
457 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
458 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
459 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
460 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
461 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
462 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
463 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
464 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
465 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
466 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
467 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
471 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
472 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
473 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
477 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
478 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
479 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
480 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
481 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
482 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
483 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
484 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
485 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
486 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
487 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
488 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
489 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
490 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
491 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
492 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
493 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
497 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
498 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
499 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
503 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
504 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
505 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
506 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
507 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
511 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
512 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
513 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
514 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
515 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
519 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
520 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
521 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
522 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
523 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
524 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
525 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
526 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
527 * Threading:: How threads are made.
528 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
529 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
530 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
531 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
532 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
533 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
534 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
535 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
536 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
537 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
538 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
539 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
540 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
541 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
542 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
543 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
544 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
545 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
546 or reselecting the current group.
547 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
548 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
549 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
550 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
552 Summary Buffer Format
554 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
555 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
556 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
557 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
561 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
562 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
564 Reply, Followup and Post
566 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
567 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
568 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
569 * Canceling and Superseding::
573 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
574 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
575 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
576 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
577 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
578 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
582 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
583 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
585 Customizing Threading
587 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
588 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
589 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
590 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
594 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
595 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
596 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
597 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
598 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
599 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
603 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
604 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
605 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
609 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
610 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
611 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
612 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
613 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
614 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
615 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
616 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
617 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
618 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
619 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
621 Alternative Approaches
623 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
624 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
626 Various Summary Stuff
628 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
629 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
630 * Summary Generation Commands::
631 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
635 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
636 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
637 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
638 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
639 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
643 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
644 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
645 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
646 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
647 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
648 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
649 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
650 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
654 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
655 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
656 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
657 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
658 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
659 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
660 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
661 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
665 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
666 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
667 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
668 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
669 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
670 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
671 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
675 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
676 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
680 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
681 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
682 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
686 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
687 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
688 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
689 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
690 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
691 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
692 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
693 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
694 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
695 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
696 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
697 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
698 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
702 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
703 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
704 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
706 Choosing a Mail Back End
708 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
709 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
710 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
711 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
712 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
713 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
714 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
719 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
720 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
721 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
722 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
723 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
724 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
728 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
729 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
730 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
731 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
732 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
736 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
737 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
738 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
739 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
740 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
744 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
748 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
749 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
750 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
754 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
755 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
759 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
760 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
761 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
762 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
763 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
764 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
765 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
766 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
767 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
768 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
769 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
770 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
771 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
775 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
776 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
777 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
781 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
782 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
783 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
787 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
788 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
789 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
790 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
791 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
792 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
793 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
794 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
795 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
796 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
797 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
798 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
799 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
800 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
801 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
802 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
803 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
807 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
808 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
809 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
810 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
814 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
815 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
816 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
820 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
821 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
822 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
823 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
824 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
825 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
826 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
827 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
828 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
829 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
830 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
831 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
832 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
833 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
834 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
835 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
836 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
837 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
838 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
842 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
843 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
844 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
845 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
846 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
847 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
848 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
849 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
853 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
854 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
855 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
856 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
857 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
861 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
862 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
863 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
864 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
865 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
866 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
868 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
870 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
872 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
873 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
875 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
877 * ifile spam filtering::
878 * spam-stat spam filtering::
880 * Extending the spam elisp package::
882 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
884 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
885 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
886 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
890 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
891 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
892 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
893 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
894 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
895 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
896 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
897 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
898 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ.
902 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
903 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
904 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
905 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
906 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
907 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
908 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
909 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
910 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
914 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
915 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
916 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
917 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
918 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
919 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
923 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
924 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
925 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
926 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
930 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
931 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
932 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
933 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
934 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
935 * Group Info:: The group info format.
936 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
937 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
938 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
942 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
943 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
944 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
945 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
946 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
947 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
951 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
952 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
956 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
957 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
963 @chapter Starting gnus
968 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
969 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
972 @findex gnus-other-frame
973 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
974 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
975 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
977 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
978 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
979 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
981 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
982 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
985 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
986 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
987 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
988 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
989 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
990 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
991 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
992 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
993 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
994 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
995 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
999 @node Finding the News
1000 @section Finding the News
1001 @cindex finding news
1003 @vindex gnus-select-method
1005 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
1006 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1007 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1008 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1011 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1012 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1015 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1018 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1021 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1024 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1025 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1026 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1028 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1030 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1031 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1032 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1033 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1034 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1035 If that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1036 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1038 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1039 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1040 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1041 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1043 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1044 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1045 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1046 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1047 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1048 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1049 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1050 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1051 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1054 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1056 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1057 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1058 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1059 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1060 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1061 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1063 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1065 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1066 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1067 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1068 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1069 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1070 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1073 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1074 you would typically set this variable to
1077 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1081 @node The First Time
1082 @section The First Time
1083 @cindex first time usage
1085 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1086 be subscribed by default.
1088 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1089 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1090 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1091 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1094 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1095 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1096 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1098 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1099 help you with most common problems.
1101 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1102 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1106 @node The Server is Down
1107 @section The Server is Down
1108 @cindex server errors
1110 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1111 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1112 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1114 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1115 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1116 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1117 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1118 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1119 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1120 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1122 @findex gnus-no-server
1123 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1125 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1126 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1127 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1128 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1129 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1130 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1131 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1135 @section Slave Gnusae
1138 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1139 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1140 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1141 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1143 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1144 @file{.newsrc} file.
1146 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1147 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1148 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1149 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1150 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1151 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1152 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1155 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1156 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1157 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1158 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1159 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1160 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1161 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1162 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1164 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1165 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1167 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1168 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1169 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1170 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1171 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1173 @node Fetching a Group
1174 @section Fetching a Group
1175 @cindex fetching a group
1177 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1178 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1179 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1180 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1181 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1182 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1188 @cindex subscription
1190 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1191 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1192 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1193 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1194 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1195 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1196 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1197 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1198 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1201 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1202 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1203 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1207 @node Checking New Groups
1208 @subsection Checking New Groups
1210 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1211 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1212 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1213 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1214 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1215 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1216 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1217 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1218 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1219 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1221 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1222 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1223 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1224 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1225 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1226 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1227 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1228 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1229 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1230 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1231 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1233 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1234 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1235 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1236 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1237 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1238 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1241 @node Subscription Methods
1242 @subsection Subscription Methods
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1245 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1246 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1248 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1249 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1251 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1255 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1256 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1257 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1258 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1259 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1263 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1264 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1266 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1267 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1268 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1270 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1271 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1272 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1273 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1274 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1275 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1276 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1277 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1278 up. Or something like that.
1280 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1281 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1282 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1283 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1284 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1286 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1287 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1288 Kill all new groups.
1290 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1291 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1292 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1293 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1294 topic parameter that looks like
1300 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1303 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1308 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1309 A closely related variable is
1310 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1311 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1312 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1313 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1316 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1317 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1318 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1319 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1322 @node Filtering New Groups
1323 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1325 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1326 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1327 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1330 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1333 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1334 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1335 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1336 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1337 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1338 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1339 subscribing these groups.
1340 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1341 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1343 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1344 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1345 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1346 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1347 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1348 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1349 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1350 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1352 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1353 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1354 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1355 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1356 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1357 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1358 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1359 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1360 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1361 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1364 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1365 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1368 @node Changing Servers
1369 @section Changing Servers
1370 @cindex changing servers
1372 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1373 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1374 very flaky and you want to use another.
1376 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1377 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1381 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1382 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1383 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1384 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1387 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1388 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1389 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1390 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1392 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1393 @findex gnus-change-server
1394 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1395 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1396 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1397 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1398 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1400 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1401 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1402 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1403 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1404 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1406 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1407 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1408 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1409 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1410 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1411 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1413 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1414 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1415 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1416 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1418 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1419 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1420 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1421 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1422 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1423 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1424 cache for all groups).
1428 @section Startup Files
1429 @cindex startup files
1434 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1435 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1437 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1438 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1439 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1440 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1441 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1442 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1443 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1445 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1446 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1447 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1448 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1449 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1450 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1452 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1453 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1454 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1455 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1456 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1457 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1458 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1459 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1460 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1461 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1463 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1464 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1465 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1466 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1467 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1468 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1469 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1470 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1471 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1472 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1473 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1474 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1476 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1477 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1478 @vindex version-control
1479 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1480 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1481 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1482 If you want version control for this file, set
1483 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1484 @code{version-control} variable.
1486 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1487 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1488 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1489 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1490 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1491 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1492 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1493 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1494 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1495 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1498 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1499 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1501 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1502 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1505 @vindex gnus-init-file
1506 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1507 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1508 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1509 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1510 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1511 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1512 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1513 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1514 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1515 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1521 @cindex dribble file
1524 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1525 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1526 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1527 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1528 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1531 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1532 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1535 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1536 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1537 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1539 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1540 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1541 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1542 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1543 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1544 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1546 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1547 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1548 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1551 @node The Active File
1552 @section The Active File
1554 @cindex ignored groups
1556 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1557 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1558 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1560 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1561 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1562 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1563 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1564 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1565 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1566 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1569 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1570 @c if you set it to anything else.
1572 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1574 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1575 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1576 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1578 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1579 you actually subscribe to.
1581 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1582 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1583 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1584 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1586 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1587 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1588 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1589 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1590 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1591 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1593 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1594 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1595 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1598 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1599 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1600 @acronym{NNTP} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1601 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1602 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1603 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1605 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1606 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1608 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1609 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1611 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1612 secondary select methods.
1615 @node Startup Variables
1616 @section Startup Variables
1620 @item gnus-load-hook
1621 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1622 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1623 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1624 times you start gnus.
1626 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1627 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1628 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1630 @item gnus-startup-hook
1631 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1632 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1634 @item gnus-started-hook
1635 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1636 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1639 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1640 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1641 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1642 generating the group buffer.
1644 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1645 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1646 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1647 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1648 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1649 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1650 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1651 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1653 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1654 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1655 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1656 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1657 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1658 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1660 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1661 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1662 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1664 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1665 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1666 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1668 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1669 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1670 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1671 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1677 @chapter Group Buffer
1678 @cindex group buffer
1680 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1682 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1683 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1684 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1685 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1686 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1687 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1688 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1689 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1690 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1691 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1692 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1693 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1694 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1695 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1696 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1697 @c human rights at 9...
1700 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1701 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1702 long as gnus is active.
1706 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1707 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1708 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1709 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1710 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1711 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1712 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1713 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1719 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1720 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1721 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1722 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1723 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1724 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1725 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1726 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1727 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1728 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1729 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1730 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1731 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1732 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1733 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1734 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1735 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1739 @node Group Buffer Format
1740 @section Group Buffer Format
1743 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1744 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1745 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1749 @node Group Line Specification
1750 @subsection Group Line Specification
1751 @cindex group buffer format
1753 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1754 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1756 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1759 25: news.announce.newusers
1760 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1765 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1766 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1767 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1768 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1770 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1771 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1772 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1773 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1774 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1775 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1777 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1779 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1780 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1781 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1782 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1783 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1785 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1786 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1787 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1789 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1794 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1797 Whether the group is subscribed.
1800 Level of subscribedness.
1803 Number of unread articles.
1806 Number of dormant articles.
1809 Number of ticked articles.
1812 Number of read articles.
1815 Number of unseen articles.
1818 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1819 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1821 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1822 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1823 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1824 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1825 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1826 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1827 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1828 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1831 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1834 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1843 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1844 comment element in the group parameters.
1847 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1848 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1849 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1853 @samp{m} if moderated.
1856 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1862 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1868 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1872 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1875 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1876 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1877 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1878 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1879 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1882 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1884 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1888 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1891 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1895 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1896 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1897 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1898 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1899 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1900 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1905 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1906 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1907 group, or a bogus native group.
1910 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1911 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1912 @cindex group mode line
1914 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1915 The mode line can be changed by setting
1916 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1917 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1921 The native news server.
1923 The native select method.
1927 @node Group Highlighting
1928 @subsection Group Highlighting
1929 @cindex highlighting
1930 @cindex group highlighting
1932 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1933 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1934 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1935 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1936 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1938 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1942 (cond (window-system
1943 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1944 (defface my-group-face-1
1945 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1946 (defface my-group-face-2
1947 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1948 "Second group face")
1949 (defface my-group-face-3
1950 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1951 (defface my-group-face-4
1952 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1953 (defface my-group-face-5
1954 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1956 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1957 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1958 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1959 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1960 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1961 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1964 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1966 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1973 The number of unread articles in the group.
1977 Whether the group is a mail group.
1979 The level of the group.
1981 The score of the group.
1983 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1985 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1986 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1988 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1989 topic being inserted.
1992 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1993 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1994 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1996 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1997 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1998 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1999 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2000 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2003 @node Group Maneuvering
2004 @section Group Maneuvering
2005 @cindex group movement
2007 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2008 expected, hopefully.
2014 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2015 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2016 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2022 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2023 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2024 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2028 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2029 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2033 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2034 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2039 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2040 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2044 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2045 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2046 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2049 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2055 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2056 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2057 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2062 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2063 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2064 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2068 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2069 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2070 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2073 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2074 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2075 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2076 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2080 @node Selecting a Group
2081 @section Selecting a Group
2082 @cindex group selection
2087 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2088 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2089 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2090 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2091 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2092 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2093 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2094 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2095 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2096 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2098 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2099 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2100 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2102 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2103 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2108 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2109 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2110 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2111 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2112 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2116 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2117 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2118 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2119 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2120 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2121 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2122 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2123 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2124 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2125 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2128 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2129 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2130 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2131 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2132 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2135 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2136 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2137 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2138 doing any processing of its contents
2139 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2140 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2141 manner will have no permanent effects.
2145 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2146 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2147 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2148 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2149 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2150 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2151 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2152 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2153 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2154 most recently will be fetched.
2156 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2157 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2158 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2161 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2162 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2163 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2164 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2165 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2166 Which article this is is controlled by the
2167 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2173 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2176 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2179 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2181 @item unseen-or-unread
2182 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2183 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2187 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2191 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2192 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2194 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2195 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2196 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2197 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2201 @node Subscription Commands
2202 @section Subscription Commands
2203 @cindex subscription
2211 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2212 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2213 Toggle subscription to the current group
2214 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2220 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2221 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2222 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2223 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2229 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2230 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2231 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2237 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2238 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2241 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2242 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2243 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2244 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2245 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2251 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2252 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2256 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2257 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2260 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2261 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2262 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2263 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2264 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2265 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2266 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2267 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2268 @file{.newsrc} file.
2272 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2282 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2283 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2284 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2285 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2286 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2287 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2292 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2293 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2294 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2298 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2299 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2300 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2302 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2303 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2304 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2305 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2306 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2307 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2314 @section Group Levels
2318 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2319 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2320 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2321 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2322 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2324 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2330 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2331 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2332 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2333 prompted for a level.
2336 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2337 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2338 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2339 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2340 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2341 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2342 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2343 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2344 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2345 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2346 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2347 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2348 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2349 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2350 reasons of efficiency.
2352 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2353 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2355 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2356 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2357 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2358 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2359 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2360 groups are hidden, in a way.
2362 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2363 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2364 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2365 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2366 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2367 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2369 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2370 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2371 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2372 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2373 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2374 list of killed groups.)
2376 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2377 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2378 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2380 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2381 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2382 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2383 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2384 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2385 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2386 relevant valid ranges.
2388 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2389 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2390 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2391 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2392 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2393 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2396 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2397 one with the best level.
2399 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2400 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2401 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2404 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2405 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2406 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2407 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2410 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2411 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2412 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2413 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2415 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2416 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2417 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2418 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2419 to 5. The default is 6.
2423 @section Group Score
2428 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2429 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2430 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2433 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2434 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2435 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2436 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2437 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2438 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2439 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2440 least significant part.))
2442 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2443 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2444 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2445 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2446 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2447 action after each summary exit, you can add
2448 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2449 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2450 slow things down somewhat.
2453 @node Marking Groups
2454 @section Marking Groups
2455 @cindex marking groups
2457 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2458 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2459 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2460 bidding on those groups.
2462 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2463 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2464 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2472 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2473 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2479 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2480 Remove the mark from the current group
2481 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2485 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2486 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2490 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2491 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2496 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2500 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2501 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2502 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2505 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2507 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2508 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2509 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2510 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2511 the command to be executed.
2514 @node Foreign Groups
2515 @section Foreign Groups
2516 @cindex foreign groups
2518 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2519 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2520 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2521 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2528 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2529 @cindex making groups
2530 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2531 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2532 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2536 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2537 @cindex renaming groups
2538 Rename the current group to something else
2539 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2540 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2546 @findex gnus-group-customize
2547 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2551 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2552 @cindex renaming groups
2553 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2554 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2558 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2559 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2560 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2564 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2565 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2566 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2570 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2572 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2573 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2578 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2579 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2583 @cindex (ding) archive
2584 @cindex archive group
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2586 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2587 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2588 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2589 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2590 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2591 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2595 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2597 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2598 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2599 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2600 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2604 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2606 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2607 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2608 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2612 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2613 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2615 Make a group based on some file or other
2616 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2617 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2618 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2619 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2620 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2621 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2622 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2623 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2624 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2628 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2630 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2635 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2639 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2641 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2642 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2643 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2644 @xref{Web Searches}.
2646 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2647 to a particular group by using a match string like
2648 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2651 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2652 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2653 This function will delete the current group
2654 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2655 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2656 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2657 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2658 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2662 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2663 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2664 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2668 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2669 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2670 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2673 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2676 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2677 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2678 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2679 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2680 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2681 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2685 @node Group Parameters
2686 @section Group Parameters
2687 @cindex group parameters
2689 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2690 Here's an example group parameter list:
2693 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2697 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2698 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2699 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2700 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2702 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2703 is an alist of regexps and values.
2705 The following group parameters can be used:
2710 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2713 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2716 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2717 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2718 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2719 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2720 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2722 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2723 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2724 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2725 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2726 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2727 list address instead.
2729 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2733 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2736 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2739 It is totally ignored
2740 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2741 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2743 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2744 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2745 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2746 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2747 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2749 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2750 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2751 sending the message.
2753 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2754 @cindex mail list groups
2755 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2756 entering summary buffer.
2758 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2763 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2764 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2765 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2766 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2767 headers for your posts to these lists. @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing
2768 Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for a complete treatment of
2769 available MFT support.
2771 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2772 directly uses this group parameter.
2776 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2777 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2778 of whether it has any unread articles.
2780 @item broken-reply-to
2781 @cindex broken-reply-to
2782 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2783 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2784 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2785 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2786 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2787 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2791 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2792 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2796 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2797 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2798 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2803 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2804 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2805 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2806 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2807 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2808 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2809 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2811 @strong{Caveat}: It yields an error putting @code{(gcc-self . t)} in
2812 groups of an @code{nntp} server or so, because an @code{nntp} server
2813 doesn't accept articles.
2817 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2818 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2819 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2821 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2824 @cindex total-expire
2825 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2826 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2827 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2828 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2831 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2835 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2836 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2837 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2838 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2839 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2840 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2841 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2844 @cindex expiry-target
2845 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2846 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2849 @cindex score file group parameter
2850 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2851 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2852 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2855 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2856 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2857 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2858 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2861 @cindex admin-address
2862 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2863 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2864 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2865 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2869 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2870 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2874 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2877 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2878 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2881 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2885 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2887 Here are some examples:
2891 Display only unread articles.
2894 Display everything except expirable articles.
2896 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2897 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2901 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2902 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2903 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2904 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2905 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2909 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2910 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2911 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2915 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2916 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2917 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2921 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2922 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2923 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2925 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2927 @item ignored-charsets
2928 @cindex ignored-charset
2929 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2930 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2931 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2933 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2936 @cindex posting-style
2937 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2938 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2939 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2940 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2941 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2943 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2944 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2945 like this in the group parameters:
2950 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2951 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2956 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2957 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2961 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2962 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2963 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2964 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2965 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2969 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2970 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2971 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2972 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2974 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2975 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2976 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2977 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2980 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2981 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2985 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
2986 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
2988 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2989 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2990 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2991 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2992 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2993 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2994 @code{eval}ed there.
2996 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
2997 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
2998 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
2999 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3000 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3001 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3002 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3003 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3006 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3009 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3010 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3011 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3014 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3017 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3018 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3019 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3020 into the group parameters for the group.
3022 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3023 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3024 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3025 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3026 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3030 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3031 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3032 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3033 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3034 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3036 @vindex gnus-parameters
3037 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3038 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3042 (setq gnus-parameters
3044 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3045 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3046 (gnus-summary-line-format
3047 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3051 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3055 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3059 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3062 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3063 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3066 @node Listing Groups
3067 @section Listing Groups
3068 @cindex group listing
3070 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3078 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3079 List all groups that have unread articles
3080 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3081 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3082 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3083 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3090 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3091 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3092 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3093 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3094 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3095 unsubscribed groups).
3099 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3100 List all unread groups on a specific level
3101 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3102 with no unread articles.
3106 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3107 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3108 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3109 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3114 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3115 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3119 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3120 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3121 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3125 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3126 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3130 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3131 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3132 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3133 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3134 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3135 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3136 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3137 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3141 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3142 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3143 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3147 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3148 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3149 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3153 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3154 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3158 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3159 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3163 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3164 List groups limited within the current selection
3165 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3169 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3170 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3174 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3175 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3179 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3180 @cindex visible group parameter
3181 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3182 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3183 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3184 get the same effect.
3186 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3187 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3188 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3189 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3190 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3193 @node Sorting Groups
3194 @section Sorting Groups
3195 @cindex sorting groups
3197 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3198 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3199 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3200 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3201 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3202 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3207 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3208 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3209 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3211 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3212 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3213 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3215 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3216 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3217 Sort by group level.
3219 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3221 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3223 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3224 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3225 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3226 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3228 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3229 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3230 Sort by number of unread articles.
3232 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3233 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3234 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3236 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3237 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3238 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3243 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3244 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3248 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3249 some sorting criteria:
3253 @kindex G S a (Group)
3254 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3255 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3256 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3259 @kindex G S u (Group)
3260 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3261 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3262 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3265 @kindex G S l (Group)
3266 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3267 Sort the group buffer by group level
3268 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3271 @kindex G S v (Group)
3272 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3273 Sort the group buffer by group score
3274 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3277 @kindex G S r (Group)
3278 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3279 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3280 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3283 @kindex G S m (Group)
3284 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3285 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3286 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3289 @kindex G S n (Group)
3290 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3291 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3292 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3296 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3297 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3299 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3300 commands will sort in reverse order.
3302 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3306 @kindex G P a (Group)
3307 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3308 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3309 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3312 @kindex G P u (Group)
3313 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3314 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3315 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3318 @kindex G P l (Group)
3319 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3320 Sort the groups by group level
3321 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3324 @kindex G P v (Group)
3325 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3326 Sort the groups by group score
3327 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3330 @kindex G P r (Group)
3331 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3332 Sort the groups by group rank
3333 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3336 @kindex G P m (Group)
3337 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3338 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3339 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3342 @kindex G P n (Group)
3343 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3344 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3345 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3348 @kindex G P s (Group)
3349 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3350 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3354 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3358 @node Group Maintenance
3359 @section Group Maintenance
3360 @cindex bogus groups
3365 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3366 Find bogus groups and delete them
3367 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3371 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3372 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3373 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3374 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3375 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3379 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3380 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3381 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3382 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3383 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3384 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3387 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3388 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3389 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3390 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3395 @node Browse Foreign Server
3396 @section Browse Foreign Server
3397 @cindex foreign servers
3398 @cindex browsing servers
3403 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3404 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3405 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3406 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3409 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3410 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3411 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3412 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3414 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3419 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3420 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3424 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3425 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3428 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3429 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3430 Enter the current group and display the first article
3431 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3434 @kindex RET (Browse)
3435 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3436 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3440 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3441 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3442 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3448 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3449 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3453 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3454 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3458 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3459 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3460 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3465 @section Exiting gnus
3466 @cindex exiting gnus
3468 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3473 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3474 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3475 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3476 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3480 @findex gnus-group-exit
3481 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3482 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3486 @findex gnus-group-quit
3487 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3488 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3491 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3492 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3493 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3494 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3495 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3496 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3502 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3503 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3504 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3510 @section Group Topics
3513 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3514 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3515 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3516 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3517 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3518 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3522 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3523 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3534 2: alt.religion.emacs
3537 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3539 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3540 13: comp.sources.unix
3543 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3545 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3546 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3547 is a toggling command.)
3549 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3550 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3551 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3552 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3555 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3556 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3557 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3560 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3564 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3565 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3566 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3567 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3568 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3572 @node Topic Commands
3573 @subsection Topic Commands
3574 @cindex topic commands
3576 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3577 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3578 definitions slightly.
3580 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3581 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3582 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3583 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3584 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3585 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3587 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3594 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3595 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3596 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3600 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3602 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3603 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3604 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3605 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3608 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3609 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3610 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3611 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3615 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3616 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3617 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3618 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3624 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3625 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3626 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3630 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3631 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3632 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3635 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3636 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3637 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3638 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3639 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3641 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3642 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3646 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3647 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3654 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3656 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3657 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3658 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3659 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3660 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3661 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3665 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3671 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3672 Move the current group to some other topic
3673 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3674 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3678 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3679 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3683 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3684 Copy the current group to some other topic
3685 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3686 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3690 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3691 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3692 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3696 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3697 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3698 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3702 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3703 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3704 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3705 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3706 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3707 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3708 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3711 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3712 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3716 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3717 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3718 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3722 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3723 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3724 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3728 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3729 Toggle hiding empty topics
3730 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3734 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3735 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3736 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3737 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3740 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3741 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3742 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3743 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3744 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3747 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3748 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3749 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3750 expiry process (if any)
3751 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3755 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3756 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3759 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3760 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3761 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3765 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3766 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3767 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3770 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3771 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3772 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3775 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3776 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3777 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3781 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3782 @cindex group parameters
3783 @cindex topic parameters
3785 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3786 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3791 @node Topic Variables
3792 @subsection Topic Variables
3793 @cindex topic variables
3795 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3796 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3798 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3799 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3800 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3813 Number of groups in the topic.
3815 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3817 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3820 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3821 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3822 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3825 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3826 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3828 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3829 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3830 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3834 @subsection Topic Sorting
3835 @cindex topic sorting
3837 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3843 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3844 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3845 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3846 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3849 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3850 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3851 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3852 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3855 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3856 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3857 Sort the current topic by group level
3858 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3861 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3862 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3863 Sort the current topic by group score
3864 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3867 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3868 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3869 Sort the current topic by group rank
3870 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3873 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3874 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3875 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3876 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3879 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3880 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3881 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3882 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3886 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3887 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3888 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3889 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3893 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3894 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3898 @node Topic Topology
3899 @subsection Topic Topology
3900 @cindex topic topology
3903 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3910 2: alt.religion.emacs
3913 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3915 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3916 13: comp.sources.unix
3920 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3921 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3922 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3927 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3928 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3932 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3933 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3934 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3935 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3936 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3937 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3939 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3940 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3941 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3944 @node Topic Parameters
3945 @subsection Topic Parameters
3946 @cindex topic parameters
3948 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3949 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3950 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3952 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3957 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3958 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3959 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3962 @item subscribe-level
3963 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3964 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3965 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3969 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3970 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3971 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3972 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3978 2: alt.religion.emacs
3982 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3984 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3985 13: comp.sources.unix
3989 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3990 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3991 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3992 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3993 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3994 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3996 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3997 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3998 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3999 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4000 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4002 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4003 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4004 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4005 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4006 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4007 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4008 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4009 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4012 @node Misc Group Stuff
4013 @section Misc Group Stuff
4016 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4017 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4018 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4019 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4020 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4027 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4028 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4029 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4033 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4034 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4035 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4036 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4037 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4038 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4039 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4043 @findex gnus-group-mail
4044 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4045 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4046 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4047 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4051 @findex gnus-group-news
4052 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4053 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4054 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4056 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4057 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4058 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4059 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4060 for this to work though.
4064 Variables for the group buffer:
4068 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4069 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4070 is called after the group buffer has been
4073 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4074 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4075 is called after the group buffer is
4076 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4079 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4080 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4081 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4082 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4084 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4085 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4086 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4087 whether they are empty or not.
4089 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4090 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4091 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4092 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4096 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4097 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4100 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4101 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4102 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4103 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4104 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4105 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4106 default is @code{nil}.
4110 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4111 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4116 @node Scanning New Messages
4117 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4118 @cindex new messages
4119 @cindex scanning new news
4125 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4126 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4127 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4128 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4129 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4130 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4135 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4136 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4137 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4138 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4139 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4140 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4141 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4143 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4144 @cindex activating groups
4146 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4147 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4152 @findex gnus-group-restart
4153 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4154 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4155 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4159 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4160 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4162 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4163 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4167 @node Group Information
4168 @subsection Group Information
4169 @cindex group information
4170 @cindex information on groups
4177 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4178 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4181 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4182 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4183 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4184 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4185 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4186 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4187 used for fetching the file.
4189 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4190 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4194 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4195 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4197 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4198 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4201 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4202 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4203 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4207 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4208 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4209 @cindex control message
4210 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4211 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4212 group if given a prefix argument.
4214 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4215 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4216 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4217 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4219 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4220 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4221 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4225 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4227 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4228 @cindex describing groups
4229 @cindex group description
4230 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4231 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4232 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4236 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4237 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4238 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4245 @findex gnus-version
4246 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4250 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4251 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4254 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4257 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4258 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4262 @node Group Timestamp
4263 @subsection Group Timestamp
4265 @cindex group timestamps
4267 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4268 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4269 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4272 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4275 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4277 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4278 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4281 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4282 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4285 This will result in lines looking like:
4288 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4289 0: custom 19961002T012713
4292 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4293 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4297 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4298 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4301 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4302 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4306 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4307 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4308 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4309 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4311 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4317 @subsection File Commands
4318 @cindex file commands
4324 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4325 @vindex gnus-init-file
4326 @cindex reading init file
4327 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4328 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4332 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4333 @cindex saving .newsrc
4334 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4335 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4336 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4339 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4340 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4341 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4346 @node Sieve Commands
4347 @subsection Sieve Commands
4348 @cindex group sieve commands
4350 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4351 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4352 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4353 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4354 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4356 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4357 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4358 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4359 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4360 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4361 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4362 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4363 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4364 regenerate the Sieve script.
4366 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4367 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4368 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4369 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4370 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4371 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4372 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4373 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4374 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4375 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4378 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4379 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4384 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4390 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4391 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4392 @cindex generating sieve script
4393 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4394 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4398 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4399 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4400 @cindex updating sieve script
4401 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4402 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4403 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4408 @node Summary Buffer
4409 @chapter Summary Buffer
4410 @cindex summary buffer
4412 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4413 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4415 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4416 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4418 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4421 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4422 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4423 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4424 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4425 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4426 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4427 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4428 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4429 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4430 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4431 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4432 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4433 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4434 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4435 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4436 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4437 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4438 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4439 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4440 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4441 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4442 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4443 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4444 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4445 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4446 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4447 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4448 or reselecting the current group.
4449 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4450 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4451 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4452 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4456 @node Summary Buffer Format
4457 @section Summary Buffer Format
4458 @cindex summary buffer format
4462 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4463 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4464 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4470 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4471 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4472 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4473 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4476 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4477 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4478 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4479 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4480 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4481 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4482 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4483 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4484 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4485 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4486 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4487 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4488 other function instead:
4491 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4492 'mail-extract-address-components)
4495 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4496 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4497 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4498 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4501 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4502 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4504 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4505 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4506 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4507 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4508 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4510 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4511 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4512 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4513 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4514 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4515 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4517 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4519 The following format specification characters and extended format
4520 specification(s) are understood:
4526 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4527 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4529 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4530 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4531 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4533 Full @code{From} header.
4535 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4537 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4540 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4541 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4542 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4543 may be more thorough.
4545 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4548 Number of lines in the article.
4550 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4551 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4553 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4554 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4556 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4558 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4559 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4572 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4573 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4574 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4575 line-drawing glyphs.
4577 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4578 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4579 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4580 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4582 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4583 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4584 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4585 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4587 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4588 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4589 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4590 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4592 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4593 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4594 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4596 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4597 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4598 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4600 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4601 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4602 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4604 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4605 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4606 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4611 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4612 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4614 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4615 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4617 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4618 for adopted articles.
4620 One space for each thread level.
4622 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4624 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4627 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4628 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4629 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4632 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4634 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4635 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4636 default level. If the difference between
4637 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4638 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4646 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4648 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4654 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4655 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4657 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4658 article has any children.
4664 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4665 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4667 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4668 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4669 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4670 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4671 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4672 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4675 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4676 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4677 There can only be one such area.
4679 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4680 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4681 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4682 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4683 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4684 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4686 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4687 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4689 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4692 @node To From Newsgroups
4693 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4697 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4698 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4699 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4700 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4701 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4705 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4706 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4707 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4711 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4712 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4715 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4716 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4719 @findex gnus-extra-header
4720 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4721 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4722 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4725 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4729 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4730 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4731 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4732 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4733 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4734 headers are used instead.
4738 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4739 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4740 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4741 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4742 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4743 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4746 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4747 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4748 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4749 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4751 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4755 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4757 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4758 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4759 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4760 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4764 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4767 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4768 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4771 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4772 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4773 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4779 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4780 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4783 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4784 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4786 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4787 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4788 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4789 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4791 Here are the elements you can play with:
4797 Unprefixed group name.
4799 Current article number.
4801 Current article score.
4805 Number of unread articles in this group.
4807 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4810 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4811 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4812 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4813 and no unselected ones.
4815 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4816 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4818 Subject of the current article.
4820 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4822 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4824 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4826 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4828 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4830 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4834 @node Summary Highlighting
4835 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4839 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4840 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4841 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4842 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4843 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4845 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4846 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4847 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4848 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4850 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4851 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4852 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4853 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4855 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4856 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4857 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4858 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4859 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4860 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4863 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4864 ((> score default) . bold))
4866 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4867 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4871 @node Summary Maneuvering
4872 @section Summary Maneuvering
4873 @cindex summary movement
4875 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4876 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4878 None of these commands select articles.
4883 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4884 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4885 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4886 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4887 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4891 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4892 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4893 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4894 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4895 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4898 @kindex G g (Summary)
4899 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4900 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4901 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4904 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4905 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4906 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4907 to the group buffer.
4909 Variables related to summary movement:
4913 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4914 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4915 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4916 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4917 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4918 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4919 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4920 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4921 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4922 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4923 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4924 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4925 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4926 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4928 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4929 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4930 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4931 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4932 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4933 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4934 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4936 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4938 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4939 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4940 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4941 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4942 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4944 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4945 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4946 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4947 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4948 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4949 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4950 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4951 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4954 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4955 the given number of lines from the top.
4960 @node Choosing Articles
4961 @section Choosing Articles
4962 @cindex selecting articles
4965 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4966 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4970 @node Choosing Commands
4971 @subsection Choosing Commands
4973 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4974 and they all select and display an article.
4976 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4977 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4981 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4982 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4983 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4984 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4986 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4987 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4988 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
4993 @kindex G n (Summary)
4994 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4995 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4996 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5001 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5002 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5003 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5008 @kindex G N (Summary)
5009 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5010 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5015 @kindex G P (Summary)
5016 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5017 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5020 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5021 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5022 Go to the next article with the same subject
5023 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5026 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5028 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5033 @kindex G f (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5036 Go to the first unread article
5037 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5041 @kindex G b (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5044 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5045 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5046 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5051 @kindex G l (Summary)
5052 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5053 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5056 @kindex G o (Summary)
5057 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5059 @cindex article history
5060 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5061 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5062 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5063 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5064 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5065 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5070 @kindex G j (Summary)
5071 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5072 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5073 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5078 @node Choosing Variables
5079 @subsection Choosing Variables
5081 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5084 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5085 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5086 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5087 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5088 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5089 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5091 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5092 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5093 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5094 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5095 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5096 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5098 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5099 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5100 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5101 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5102 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5103 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5104 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5105 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5106 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5107 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5108 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5109 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5110 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5111 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5116 @node Paging the Article
5117 @section Scrolling the Article
5118 @cindex article scrolling
5123 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5125 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5126 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5127 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5129 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5130 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5131 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5132 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5133 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5134 what is considered uninteresting with
5135 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5136 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5139 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5140 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5141 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5144 @kindex RET (Summary)
5145 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5146 Scroll the current article one line forward
5147 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5150 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5152 Scroll the current article one line backward
5153 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5157 @kindex A g (Summary)
5159 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5160 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5161 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5162 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5163 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5164 the way it came from the server.
5166 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5167 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5168 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5171 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5176 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5181 @kindex A < (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5183 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5184 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5189 @kindex A > (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5191 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5195 @kindex A s (Summary)
5197 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5198 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5199 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5203 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5204 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5209 @node Reply Followup and Post
5210 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5213 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5214 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5215 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5216 * Canceling and Superseding::
5220 @node Summary Mail Commands
5221 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5223 @cindex composing mail
5225 Commands for composing a mail message:
5231 @kindex S r (Summary)
5233 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5234 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5235 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5236 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5237 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5242 @kindex S R (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5244 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5245 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5246 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5247 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5250 @kindex S w (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5252 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5253 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5254 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5255 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5256 present, that's used instead.
5259 @kindex S W (Summary)
5260 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5261 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5262 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5263 the process/prefix convention.
5266 @kindex S v (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5268 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5269 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5270 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5271 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5272 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5275 @kindex S V (Summary)
5276 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5277 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5278 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5279 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5282 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5284 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5285 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5286 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5287 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5288 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5289 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5292 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5294 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5295 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5296 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5300 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5301 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5302 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5303 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5304 Forward the current article to some other person
5305 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5306 headers of the forwarded article.
5311 @kindex S m (Summary)
5312 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5313 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5314 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5315 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5316 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5321 @kindex S i (Summary)
5322 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5323 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5324 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5325 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5327 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5328 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5329 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5330 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5331 for this to work though.
5334 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5336 @cindex bouncing mail
5337 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5338 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5339 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5340 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5341 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5342 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5343 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5344 very well fail, though.
5347 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5349 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5350 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5351 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5352 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5353 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5354 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5355 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5356 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5358 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5359 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5360 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5361 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5362 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5364 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5365 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5368 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5369 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5370 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5371 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5372 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5375 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5377 @cindex crossposting
5378 @cindex excessive crossposting
5379 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5380 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5382 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5383 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5384 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5385 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5386 command understands the process/prefix convention
5387 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5391 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5392 Manual}, for more information.
5395 @node Summary Post Commands
5396 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5398 @cindex composing news
5400 Commands for posting a news article:
5406 @kindex S p (Summary)
5407 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5408 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5409 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5410 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5411 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5416 @kindex S f (Summary)
5417 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5418 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5419 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5423 @kindex S F (Summary)
5425 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5426 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5427 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5428 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5429 process/prefix convention.
5432 @kindex S n (Summary)
5433 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5434 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5435 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5438 @kindex S N (Summary)
5439 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5440 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5441 message through mail and include the original message
5442 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5443 the process/prefix convention.
5446 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5447 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5448 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5449 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5450 headers of the forwarded article.
5453 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5454 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5456 @cindex making digests
5457 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5458 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5459 process/prefix convention.
5462 @kindex S u (Summary)
5463 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5464 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5465 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5466 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5469 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5470 Manual}, for more information.
5473 @node Summary Message Commands
5474 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5478 @kindex S y (Summary)
5479 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5480 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5481 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5482 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5483 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5488 @node Canceling and Superseding
5489 @subsection Canceling Articles
5490 @cindex canceling articles
5491 @cindex superseding articles
5493 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5494 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5496 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5498 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5500 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5501 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5502 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5503 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5504 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5505 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5507 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5508 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5511 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5512 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5513 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5515 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5516 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5517 your original article.
5519 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5521 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5522 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5523 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5526 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5527 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5528 have posted almost the same article twice.
5530 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5531 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5532 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5533 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5534 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5535 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5536 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5537 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5538 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5539 canceled/superseded.
5541 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5543 @node Delayed Articles
5544 @section Delayed Articles
5545 @cindex delayed sending
5546 @cindex send delayed
5548 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5549 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5550 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5551 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5554 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5557 @findex gnus-delay-article
5558 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5559 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5560 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5561 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5565 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5566 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5567 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5568 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5571 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5572 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5573 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5576 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5577 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5578 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5579 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5580 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5581 that means a time tomorrow.
5584 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5585 couple of variables:
5588 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5589 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5590 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5591 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5593 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5594 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5595 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5596 formats described above.
5598 @item gnus-delay-group
5599 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5600 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5601 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5602 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5604 @item gnus-delay-header
5605 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5606 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5607 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5608 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5611 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5612 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5613 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5614 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5615 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5617 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5618 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5619 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5620 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5621 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5622 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5623 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5626 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5627 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5629 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5630 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5631 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5632 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5633 argument is ignored.
5635 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5636 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5637 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5641 @node Marking Articles
5642 @section Marking Articles
5643 @cindex article marking
5644 @cindex article ticking
5647 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5649 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5650 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5651 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5653 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5656 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5657 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5658 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5662 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5666 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5667 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5668 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5672 @node Unread Articles
5673 @subsection Unread Articles
5675 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5680 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5681 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5683 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5684 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5685 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5686 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5687 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5688 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5689 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5692 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5693 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5695 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5696 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5697 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5698 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5702 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5703 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5705 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5710 @subsection Read Articles
5711 @cindex expirable mark
5713 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5718 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5719 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5720 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5723 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5724 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5727 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5728 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5729 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5732 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5733 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5736 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5737 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5740 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5741 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5744 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5745 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5748 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5749 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5752 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5753 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5756 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5757 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5761 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5762 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5763 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5767 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5768 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5770 One more special mark, though:
5774 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5775 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5777 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5778 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5779 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5780 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5786 @subsection Other Marks
5787 @cindex process mark
5790 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5796 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5797 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5798 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5799 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5800 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5803 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5804 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5805 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5806 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5809 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5810 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5811 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5814 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5815 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5816 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5819 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5820 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5821 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5822 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5825 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5826 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5827 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5828 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5829 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5830 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5833 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5834 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5835 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5836 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5839 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5840 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5841 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5842 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5843 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5847 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5848 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5849 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5850 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5851 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5852 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5855 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5856 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5857 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5858 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5859 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5860 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5864 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5865 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5866 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5867 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5868 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5871 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5872 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5873 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5874 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5875 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5876 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5880 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5881 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5882 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5884 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5885 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5886 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5890 @subsection Setting Marks
5891 @cindex setting marks
5893 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5898 @kindex M c (Summary)
5899 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5900 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5901 @cindex mark as unread
5902 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5903 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5909 @kindex M t (Summary)
5910 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5911 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5912 @xref{Article Caching}.
5917 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5919 Mark the current article as dormant
5920 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5924 @kindex M d (Summary)
5926 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5927 Mark the current article as read
5928 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5932 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5933 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5934 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5939 @kindex M k (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5941 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5942 and then select the next unread article
5943 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5947 @kindex M K (Summary)
5948 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5949 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5950 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5951 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5954 @kindex M C (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5956 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5957 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5960 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5962 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5963 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5966 @kindex M H (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5968 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5969 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5972 @kindex M h (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5974 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5975 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5978 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5980 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5981 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5984 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5986 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5987 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5991 @kindex M e (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5994 Mark the current article as expirable
5995 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5998 @kindex M b (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6000 Set a bookmark in the current article
6001 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6004 @kindex M B (Summary)
6005 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6006 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6007 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6010 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6011 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6012 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6013 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6016 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6018 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6019 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6022 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6024 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6025 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6026 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6029 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6030 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6031 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6032 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6033 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6034 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6035 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6036 The default is @code{t}.
6039 @node Generic Marking Commands
6040 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6042 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6043 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6044 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6045 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6046 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6049 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6050 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6053 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6054 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6055 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6056 to list in this manual.
6058 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6059 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6060 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6061 article, you could say something like:
6065 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6066 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6067 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6075 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6076 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6080 @node Setting Process Marks
6081 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6082 @cindex setting process marks
6084 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6085 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6086 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6087 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6088 commands into the cache. For more information,
6089 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6096 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6097 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6098 Mark the current article with the process mark
6099 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6100 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6104 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6105 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6106 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6107 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6110 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6112 Remove the process mark from all articles
6113 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6116 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6118 Invert the list of process marked articles
6119 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6122 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6124 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6125 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6128 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6130 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6131 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6134 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6136 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6140 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6141 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6144 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6145 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6146 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6147 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6150 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6152 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6153 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6156 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6158 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6159 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6162 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6163 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6164 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6167 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6168 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6169 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6170 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6173 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6174 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6175 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6178 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6179 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6180 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6181 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6184 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6186 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6187 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6190 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6192 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6193 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6196 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6198 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6199 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6203 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6204 set process marks based on article body contents.
6211 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6212 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6213 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6216 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6217 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6218 additional articles.
6224 @kindex / / (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6226 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6227 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6231 @kindex / a (Summary)
6232 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6233 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6234 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6238 @kindex / x (Summary)
6239 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6240 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6241 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6242 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6247 @kindex / u (Summary)
6249 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6250 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6251 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6252 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6253 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6256 @kindex / m (Summary)
6257 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6258 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6259 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6262 @kindex / t (Summary)
6263 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6264 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6265 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6266 articles younger than that number of days.
6269 @kindex / n (Summary)
6270 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6271 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6272 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6273 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6276 @kindex / w (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6278 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6279 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6283 @kindex / . (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6285 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6286 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6289 @kindex / v (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6291 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6292 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6295 @kindex / p (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6297 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6298 group parameter predicate
6299 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6300 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6304 @kindex M S (Summary)
6305 @kindex / E (Summary)
6306 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6307 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6308 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6311 @kindex / D (Summary)
6312 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6313 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6314 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6317 @kindex / * (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6319 Include all cached articles in the limit
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6323 @kindex / d (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6325 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6329 @kindex / M (Summary)
6330 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6331 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6334 @kindex / T (Summary)
6335 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6336 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6339 @kindex / c (Summary)
6340 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6341 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6342 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6345 @kindex / C (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6347 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6349 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6352 @kindex / N (Summary)
6353 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6354 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6355 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6358 @kindex / o (Summary)
6359 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6360 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6361 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6369 @cindex article threading
6371 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6372 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6373 hierarchical fashion.
6375 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6376 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6377 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6378 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6379 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6380 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6381 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6383 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6387 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6390 A tree-like article structure.
6393 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6396 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6397 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6398 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6399 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6400 called loose threads.
6402 @item thread gathering
6403 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6405 @item sparse threads
6406 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6407 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6413 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6414 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6418 @node Customizing Threading
6419 @subsection Customizing Threading
6420 @cindex customizing threading
6423 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6424 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6425 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6426 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6431 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6434 @cindex loose threads
6437 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6438 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6439 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6440 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6441 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6442 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6444 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6445 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6446 There are four possible values:
6450 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6451 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6452 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6453 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6454 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6459 @cindex adopting articles
6464 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6465 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6466 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6467 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6470 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6471 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6472 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6473 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6474 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6475 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6476 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6477 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6478 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6479 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6482 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6483 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6484 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6488 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6489 display them after one another.
6492 Don't gather loose threads.
6495 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6496 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6497 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6498 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6499 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6500 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6501 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6502 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6503 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6504 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6505 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6507 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6508 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6509 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6512 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6513 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6514 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6515 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6516 simplification is used.
6518 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6519 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6520 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6521 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6523 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6525 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6531 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6532 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6533 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6534 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6539 (mapconcat 'identity
6540 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6542 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6545 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6548 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6549 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6550 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6551 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6552 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6553 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6555 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6558 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6559 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6560 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6562 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6563 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6566 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6567 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6568 Remove excessive whitespace.
6570 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6571 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6572 Remove all whitespace.
6575 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6578 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6579 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6580 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6581 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6582 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6583 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6584 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6585 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6587 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6588 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6589 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6590 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6591 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6592 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6593 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6594 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6595 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6599 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6600 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6601 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6602 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6604 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6605 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6606 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6609 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6613 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6614 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6620 @node Filling In Threads
6621 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6624 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6625 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6626 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6627 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6628 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6629 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6630 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6631 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6632 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6633 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6634 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6635 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6638 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6639 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6640 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6642 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6643 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6644 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6647 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6648 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6649 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6650 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6651 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6652 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6653 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6654 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6655 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6656 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6657 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6658 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6659 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6660 @code{nil} by default.
6662 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6663 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6664 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6665 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6666 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6667 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6668 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6670 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6671 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6672 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6677 @node More Threading
6678 @subsubsection More Threading
6681 @item gnus-show-threads
6682 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6683 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6684 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6685 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6686 slower and more awkward.
6688 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6689 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6690 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6693 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6694 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6695 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6700 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6701 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6702 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6705 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6706 unread, but you get my drift.)
6709 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6710 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6711 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6712 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6713 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6714 threads are expunged.
6716 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6717 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6718 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6721 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6722 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6723 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6724 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6725 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6726 result in a new thread.
6728 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6729 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6730 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6733 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6734 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6735 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6736 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6737 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6738 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6739 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6740 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6741 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6742 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6743 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6748 @node Low-Level Threading
6749 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6753 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6754 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6755 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6756 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6757 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6758 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6760 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6761 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6762 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6763 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6764 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6765 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6766 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6767 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6768 meaningful. Here's one example:
6771 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6773 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6774 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6776 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6778 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6785 @node Thread Commands
6786 @subsection Thread Commands
6787 @cindex thread commands
6793 @kindex T k (Summary)
6794 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6795 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6796 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6797 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6798 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6803 @kindex T l (Summary)
6804 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6805 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6806 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6807 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6810 @kindex T i (Summary)
6811 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6812 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6813 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6816 @kindex T # (Summary)
6817 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6818 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6819 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6822 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6823 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6824 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6825 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6828 @kindex T T (Summary)
6829 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6830 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6833 @kindex T s (Summary)
6834 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6835 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6836 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6839 @kindex T h (Summary)
6840 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6841 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6844 @kindex T S (Summary)
6845 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6846 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6849 @kindex T H (Summary)
6850 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6851 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6854 @kindex T t (Summary)
6855 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6856 Re-thread the current article's thread
6857 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6858 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6861 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6862 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6863 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6864 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6868 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6869 understand the numeric prefix.
6874 @kindex T n (Summary)
6876 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6878 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6879 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6880 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6883 @kindex T p (Summary)
6885 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6887 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6888 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6889 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6892 @kindex T d (Summary)
6893 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6894 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6897 @kindex T u (Summary)
6898 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6899 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6902 @kindex T o (Summary)
6903 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6904 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6907 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6908 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6909 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6910 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6911 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6912 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6913 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6914 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6915 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6916 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6917 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6918 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6922 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6923 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6925 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6926 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6927 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6928 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6929 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6930 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6931 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6932 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6933 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6934 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6935 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6936 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6937 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6938 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6940 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6941 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6942 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6943 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6944 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6945 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6946 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6947 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6949 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6950 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6951 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6953 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6954 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6955 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6956 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6957 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6958 ascending article order.
6960 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6961 by number, you could do something like:
6964 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6965 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6966 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6967 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6970 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6971 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6972 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6973 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6974 which the articles arrived.
6976 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6980 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6982 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6983 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6986 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6987 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6988 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6989 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6992 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6993 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6994 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6995 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6996 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6997 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6998 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6999 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7000 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7001 variable. It is very similar to the
7002 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7003 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7004 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7005 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7006 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7007 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7008 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7010 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7014 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7015 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7016 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7021 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7022 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7023 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7024 @cindex article pre-fetch
7027 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7028 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7029 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7030 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7031 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7033 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7034 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
7036 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7037 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7038 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7039 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7040 connection is blocked.
7042 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7043 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7044 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7045 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
7047 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7048 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7049 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7050 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7053 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7056 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7057 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7058 happen automatically.
7060 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7061 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7062 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7063 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7064 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7065 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7066 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7068 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7069 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7070 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7071 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7072 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7073 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7074 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7075 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7076 article data structure as the only parameter.
7078 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7079 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7082 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7083 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7084 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7085 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7088 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7091 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7092 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7093 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7095 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7096 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7097 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7098 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7102 Remove articles when they are read.
7105 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7108 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7110 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7111 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7112 @c from the next group.
7115 @node Article Caching
7116 @section Article Caching
7117 @cindex article caching
7120 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7121 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7122 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7123 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7124 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7126 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7128 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7129 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7130 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7131 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7132 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7133 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7134 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7135 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7137 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7138 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7139 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7140 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7141 as dormant, and don't worry.
7143 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7145 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7146 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7147 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7148 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7149 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7150 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7151 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7152 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7153 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7154 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7156 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7157 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7158 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7159 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7160 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7161 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7162 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7163 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7164 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7165 not then be downloaded by this command.
7167 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7168 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7169 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7170 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7171 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7172 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7174 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7175 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7176 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7177 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7178 variables, the group is not cached.
7180 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7181 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7182 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7183 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7184 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7185 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7186 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7187 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7188 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7191 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7192 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7193 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7194 where, isn't that cool?
7196 @node Persistent Articles
7197 @section Persistent Articles
7198 @cindex persistent articles
7200 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7201 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7202 useful in my opinion.
7204 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7205 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7206 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7207 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7208 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7209 the expiry going on at the news server.
7211 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7212 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7213 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7219 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7220 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7223 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7224 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7225 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7226 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7230 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7232 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7233 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7234 interested in persistent articles:
7237 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7241 @node Article Backlog
7242 @section Article Backlog
7244 @cindex article backlog
7246 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7247 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7248 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7249 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7250 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7251 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7252 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7253 increase memory usage some.
7255 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7256 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7257 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7258 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7259 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7260 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7261 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7263 The default value is 20.
7266 @node Saving Articles
7267 @section Saving Articles
7268 @cindex saving articles
7270 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7271 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7272 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7273 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7274 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7276 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7277 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7278 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7280 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7281 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7282 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7284 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7285 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7286 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7287 deleted before saving.
7293 @kindex O o (Summary)
7295 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7296 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7297 Save the current article using the default article saver
7298 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7301 @kindex O m (Summary)
7302 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7303 Save the current article in mail format
7304 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7307 @kindex O r (Summary)
7308 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7309 Save the current article in Rmail format
7310 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7313 @kindex O f (Summary)
7314 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7315 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7316 Save the current article in plain file format
7317 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7320 @kindex O F (Summary)
7321 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7322 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7323 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7326 @kindex O b (Summary)
7327 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7328 Save the current article body in plain file format
7329 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7332 @kindex O h (Summary)
7333 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7334 Save the current article in mh folder format
7335 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7338 @kindex O v (Summary)
7339 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7340 Save the current article in a VM folder
7341 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7345 @kindex O p (Summary)
7347 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7348 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7349 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7350 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7351 complete headers in the piped output.
7354 @kindex O P (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7356 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7357 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7358 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7359 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7360 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7361 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7365 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7366 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7367 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7368 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7369 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7370 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7371 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7372 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7373 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7374 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7375 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7376 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7380 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7381 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7382 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7383 functions below, or you can create your own.
7387 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7388 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7389 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7390 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7391 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7392 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7393 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7395 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7396 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7397 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7398 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7399 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7400 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7402 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7403 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7404 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7405 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7406 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7407 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7408 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7410 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7411 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7412 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7413 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7414 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7415 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7417 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7418 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7419 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7420 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7421 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7423 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7424 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7425 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7426 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7427 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7430 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7431 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7432 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7433 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7434 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7436 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7437 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7438 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7439 reader to use this setting.
7442 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7443 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7444 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7445 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7448 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7449 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7450 available functions that generate names:
7454 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7455 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7456 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7458 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7459 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7460 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7462 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7463 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7464 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7466 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7467 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7468 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7470 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7471 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7472 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7475 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7476 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7477 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7478 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7479 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7483 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7484 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7485 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7486 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7489 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7490 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7491 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7492 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7493 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7494 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7495 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7496 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7497 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7499 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7500 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7501 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7502 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7504 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7505 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7506 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7509 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7510 lots of mail groups called things like
7511 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7512 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7513 following will do just that:
7516 (defun my-save-name (group)
7517 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7518 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7520 (setq gnus-split-methods
7521 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7526 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7527 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7528 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7529 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7530 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7531 all the files in the top level directory
7532 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7533 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7534 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7535 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7537 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7538 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7539 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7540 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7541 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7544 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7548 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7549 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7550 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7553 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7554 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7555 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7556 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7559 @node Decoding Articles
7560 @section Decoding Articles
7561 @cindex decoding articles
7563 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7564 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7567 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7568 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7569 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7570 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7571 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7572 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7576 @cindex article series
7577 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7578 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7579 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7580 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7581 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7583 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7584 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7585 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7587 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7588 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7589 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7591 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7592 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7593 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7596 @node Uuencoded Articles
7597 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7599 @cindex uuencoded articles
7604 @kindex X u (Summary)
7605 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7606 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7607 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7610 @kindex X U (Summary)
7611 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7612 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7613 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7616 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7617 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7618 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7621 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7622 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7623 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7624 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7628 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7629 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7630 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7631 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7632 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7634 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7635 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7636 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7637 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7640 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7641 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7642 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7643 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7644 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7645 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7649 @node Shell Archives
7650 @subsection Shell Archives
7652 @cindex shell archives
7653 @cindex shared articles
7655 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7656 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7657 some commands to deal with these:
7662 @kindex X s (Summary)
7663 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7664 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7667 @kindex X S (Summary)
7668 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7669 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7672 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7673 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7674 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7677 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7678 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7679 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7680 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7684 @node PostScript Files
7685 @subsection PostScript Files
7691 @kindex X p (Summary)
7692 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7693 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7696 @kindex X P (Summary)
7697 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7698 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7699 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7702 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7703 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7704 View the current PostScript series
7705 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7708 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7709 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7710 View and save the current PostScript series
7711 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7716 @subsection Other Files
7720 @kindex X o (Summary)
7721 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7722 Save the current series
7723 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7726 @kindex X b (Summary)
7727 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7728 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7729 doesn't really work yet.
7733 @node Decoding Variables
7734 @subsection Decoding Variables
7736 Adjective, not verb.
7739 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7740 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7741 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7745 @node Rule Variables
7746 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7747 @cindex rule variables
7749 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7750 variables are of the form
7753 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7760 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7761 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7763 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7764 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7767 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7768 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7771 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7772 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7773 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7774 user and default view rules.
7776 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7777 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7778 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7783 @node Other Decode Variables
7784 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7787 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7789 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7790 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7791 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7792 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7793 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7797 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7798 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7801 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7802 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7803 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7806 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7807 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7808 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7809 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7810 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7813 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7814 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7815 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7817 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7818 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7819 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7820 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7821 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7824 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7825 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7826 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7828 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7829 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7830 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7831 looking for files to display.
7833 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7834 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7835 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7838 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7839 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7840 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7843 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7844 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7845 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7848 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7849 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7850 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7853 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7854 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7855 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7856 decoded articles as unread.
7858 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7859 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7860 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7861 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7863 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7864 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7865 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7867 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7868 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7870 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7871 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7872 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7873 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7875 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7876 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7877 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7878 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7879 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7880 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7881 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7882 simply dropped them.
7887 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7888 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7892 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7893 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7894 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7895 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7896 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7897 for you when you post the article.
7899 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7900 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7901 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7902 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7904 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7905 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7906 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7907 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7908 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7909 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7910 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7912 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7913 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7914 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7915 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7916 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7917 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7918 Default is @code{t}.
7924 @subsection Viewing Files
7925 @cindex viewing files
7926 @cindex pseudo-articles
7928 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7929 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7930 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7931 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7932 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7933 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7934 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7936 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7937 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7938 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7939 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7941 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7942 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7943 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7945 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7946 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7947 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7948 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7949 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7951 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7952 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7953 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7954 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7955 a list of parameters to that command.
7957 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7958 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7959 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7961 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7962 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7963 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7966 @node Article Treatment
7967 @section Article Treatment
7969 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7970 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7971 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7972 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7973 these articles easier.
7976 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7977 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7978 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7979 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7980 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7981 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7982 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7983 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7984 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7985 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7986 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
7990 @node Article Highlighting
7991 @subsection Article Highlighting
7992 @cindex highlighting
7994 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7995 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8000 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8002 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8003 Do much highlighting of the current article
8004 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8005 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8008 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8009 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8010 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8011 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8012 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8013 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8014 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8015 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8016 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8017 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8018 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8019 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8022 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8023 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8024 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8026 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8029 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8031 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8032 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8033 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8035 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8036 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8037 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8039 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8040 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8041 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8042 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8043 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8044 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8046 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8047 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8048 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8050 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8051 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8052 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8054 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8055 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8056 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8057 that it's a citation.
8059 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8060 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8061 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8063 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8064 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8065 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8067 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8068 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8069 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8070 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8076 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8077 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8078 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8079 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8080 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8081 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8082 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8083 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8088 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8091 @node Article Fontisizing
8092 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8094 @cindex article emphasis
8096 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8097 @kindex W e (Summary)
8098 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8099 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8100 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8101 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8103 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8104 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8105 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8106 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8107 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8108 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8109 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8110 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8114 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8115 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8116 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8125 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8126 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8127 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8128 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8129 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8130 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8131 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8132 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8133 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8134 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8135 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8136 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8137 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8139 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8140 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8141 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8145 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8148 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8150 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8151 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8152 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8153 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8155 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8158 @node Article Hiding
8159 @subsection Article Hiding
8160 @cindex article hiding
8162 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8163 too much cruft in most articles.
8168 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-article-hide
8170 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8171 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8172 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8175 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8176 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8177 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8181 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8182 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8183 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8184 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8187 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8188 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8189 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8193 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8195 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8196 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8197 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8198 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8199 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8200 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8204 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8205 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8206 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8207 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8212 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8213 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8214 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8215 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8218 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8219 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8220 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8221 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8224 @cindex stripping advertisements
8225 @cindex advertisements
8226 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8227 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8228 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8229 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8230 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8231 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8232 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8233 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8234 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8235 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8238 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8239 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8240 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8244 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8245 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8246 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8247 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8248 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8249 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8250 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8251 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8252 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8253 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8254 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8257 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8258 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8264 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8265 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8266 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8267 customizing the hiding:
8271 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8272 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8273 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8274 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8275 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8276 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8277 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8282 Starting point of the hidden text.
8284 Ending point of the hidden text.
8286 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8288 Number of lines of hidden text.
8291 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8292 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8293 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8294 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8295 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8300 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8301 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8303 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8304 following two variables:
8307 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8308 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8309 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8310 50), hide the cited text.
8312 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8313 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8314 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8319 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8321 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8322 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8323 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8324 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8328 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8329 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8330 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8332 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8333 citation customization.
8335 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8339 @node Article Washing
8340 @subsection Article Washing
8342 @cindex article washing
8344 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8345 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8347 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8348 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8351 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8352 articles by default.
8357 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8358 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8362 Force redisplaying of the current article
8363 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8364 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8365 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8366 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8369 @kindex W l (Summary)
8370 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8371 Remove page breaks from the current article
8372 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8376 @kindex W r (Summary)
8377 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8378 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8379 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8380 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8381 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8382 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8384 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8385 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8386 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8387 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8390 @kindex W m (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8392 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8396 @kindex W t (Summary)
8398 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8399 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8400 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8403 @kindex W v (Summary)
8404 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8405 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8406 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8409 @kindex W m (Summary)
8410 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8411 Toggle whether to run the article through @acronym{MIME} before
8412 displaying (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8415 @kindex W o (Summary)
8416 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8417 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8420 @kindex W d (Summary)
8421 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8422 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8424 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8426 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8427 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8428 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8429 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8432 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8433 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8434 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8435 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8438 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8439 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8440 @cindex Outlook Express
8441 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8442 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8443 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8446 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8447 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8448 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8449 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8450 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8451 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8452 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8453 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8454 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8455 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8458 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8459 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8460 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8461 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8464 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8465 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8466 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8467 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8470 @kindex W w (Summary)
8471 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8472 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8474 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8478 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8479 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8480 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8483 @kindex W C (Summary)
8484 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8485 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8486 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8489 @kindex W c (Summary)
8490 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8491 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8492 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8493 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8494 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8496 @kindex W q (Summary)
8497 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8498 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8499 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8500 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8501 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8502 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8503 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8504 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8505 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8508 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8509 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8510 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8511 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8512 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8513 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8514 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8515 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8518 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8519 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8520 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8521 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8522 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8525 @kindex W u (Summary)
8526 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8527 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8528 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8529 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8530 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8533 @kindex W h (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8535 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8536 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8537 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8539 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8541 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8542 The default is to use the function specified by
8543 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8544 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8545 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8546 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8554 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8557 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8560 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8563 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8568 @kindex W b (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8570 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8571 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8574 @kindex W B (Summary)
8575 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8576 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8577 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8580 @kindex W p (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8582 Verify a signed control message
8583 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8584 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8585 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8586 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8587 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8588 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8591 @kindex W s (Summary)
8592 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8593 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8594 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8595 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8598 @kindex W a (Summary)
8599 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8600 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8601 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8604 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8605 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8606 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8607 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8610 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8611 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8612 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8613 lines with a single empty line.
8614 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8617 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8618 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8619 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8620 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8623 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8624 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8625 Do all the three commands above
8626 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8629 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8630 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8631 Remove all blank lines
8632 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8635 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8636 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8637 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8638 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8641 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8642 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8643 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8644 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8648 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8651 @node Article Header
8652 @subsection Article Header
8654 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8659 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8660 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8661 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8664 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8665 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8666 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8667 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8670 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8671 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8672 Fold all the message headers
8673 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8677 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8678 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8679 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8684 @node Article Buttons
8685 @subsection Article Buttons
8688 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8689 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8690 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8691 button on these references.
8693 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8694 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8695 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8696 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8697 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8701 @item gnus-button-alist
8702 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8703 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8706 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8712 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8713 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8714 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8715 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8716 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8719 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8720 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8721 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8724 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8725 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8726 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8727 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8728 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8730 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8733 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8736 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8737 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8741 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8744 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8747 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8748 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8749 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8750 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8751 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8754 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8757 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8760 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8763 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8764 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8766 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8768 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8769 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8770 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8771 default values of the variables above.
8773 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8775 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8776 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8777 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8778 argument with a string naming the man page.
8780 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8782 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8783 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8784 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8786 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8787 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8788 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8789 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8790 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8791 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8792 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8793 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8794 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8795 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8796 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8797 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8799 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8800 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8801 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8802 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8803 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8806 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8807 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8808 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8809 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8811 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8813 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8814 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8815 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8816 argument, the string naming the URL.
8819 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8820 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8821 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8825 @item gnus-article-button-face
8826 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8827 Face used on buttons.
8829 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8830 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8831 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8835 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8838 @node Article Button Levels
8839 @subsection Article button levels
8840 @cindex button levels
8841 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8842 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8843 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8844 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8845 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8846 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8847 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8848 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8851 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8852 (setq gnus-parameters
8853 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8854 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8855 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8860 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8861 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8862 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8863 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8864 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8865 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8867 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8868 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8869 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8870 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8871 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8872 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8873 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8874 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8875 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8876 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8877 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8878 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8879 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8881 @item gnus-button-man-level
8882 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8883 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8884 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8886 @item gnus-button-message-level
8887 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8888 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8889 Related variables and functions include
8890 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8891 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8892 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8893 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8895 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8896 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8897 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8898 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8899 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8900 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8901 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8907 @subsection Article Date
8909 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8910 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8911 when the article was sent.
8916 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8917 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8918 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8919 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8922 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8923 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8925 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8926 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8929 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8930 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8931 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8934 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8935 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8936 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8937 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8940 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8941 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8942 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8943 @findex format-time-string
8944 Display the date using a user-defined format
8945 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8946 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8947 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8948 for a list of possible format specs.
8951 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8952 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8953 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8954 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8955 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8956 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8959 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8962 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8963 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8964 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8967 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8968 into wonderful absurdities.
8970 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8973 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8976 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8977 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8981 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8982 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8983 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8984 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8985 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8986 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8987 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8991 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8992 preferred format automatically.
8995 @node Article Display
8996 @subsection Article Display
9001 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9002 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9004 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9005 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9007 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9008 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9010 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9011 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9013 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9014 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9016 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9021 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9022 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9023 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9024 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9027 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9028 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9029 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9030 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9033 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9034 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9035 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9038 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9039 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9040 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9043 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9044 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9045 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9046 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9049 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9050 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9051 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9052 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9055 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9056 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9057 Remove all images from the article buffer
9058 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9064 @node Article Signature
9065 @subsection Article Signature
9067 @cindex article signature
9069 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9070 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9071 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9072 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9073 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9074 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9075 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9076 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9077 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9080 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9081 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9082 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9083 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9084 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9085 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9086 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9087 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9090 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9093 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9094 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9095 signature when displaying articles.
9099 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9102 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9105 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9106 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9108 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9109 in question is not a signature.
9112 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9113 listed above. Here's an example:
9116 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9117 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9120 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9121 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9122 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9123 signature after all.
9126 @node Article Miscellanea
9127 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9131 @kindex A t (Summary)
9132 @findex gnus-article-babel
9133 Translate the article from one language to another
9134 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9140 @section MIME Commands
9141 @cindex MIME decoding
9143 @cindex viewing attachments
9145 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9146 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9152 @kindex K v (Summary)
9153 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9156 @kindex K o (Summary)
9157 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9160 @kindex K c (Summary)
9161 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9164 @kindex K e (Summary)
9165 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9168 @kindex K i (Summary)
9169 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9172 @kindex K | (Summary)
9173 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9176 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9181 @kindex K b (Summary)
9182 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9183 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9187 @kindex K m (Summary)
9188 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9189 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9190 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9191 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9192 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9195 @kindex X m (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9197 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9198 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9199 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9202 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9203 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9204 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9205 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9208 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9209 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9210 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9211 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9214 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9215 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9216 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9217 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9219 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9220 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9221 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9222 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9223 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9224 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9227 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9228 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9229 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9230 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9237 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9238 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9239 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9240 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9243 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9246 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9250 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9251 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9252 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9253 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9254 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9255 default is @code{nil}.
9257 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9258 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9259 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9260 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9261 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9262 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9263 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9265 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9266 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9267 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9268 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9269 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9270 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9271 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9272 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9274 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9275 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9276 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9277 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9278 displayed. This variable overrides
9279 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9280 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9283 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9284 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9285 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9287 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9288 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9289 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9290 default value is @code{nil}.
9292 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9293 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9294 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9295 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9296 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9297 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9298 save all jpegs into some directory).
9300 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9303 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9304 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9306 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9307 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9308 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9309 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9310 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9313 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9314 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9315 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9317 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9318 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9319 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9320 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9322 Ready-made functions include@*
9323 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9324 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9325 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9326 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9327 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9328 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9329 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9330 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9331 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9332 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9333 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9334 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9336 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9337 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9339 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9340 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9341 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9344 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9345 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9346 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9347 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9351 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9360 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9361 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9362 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9363 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9364 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9365 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9366 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9368 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9369 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9370 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9371 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9373 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9374 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9375 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9376 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9377 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9378 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9379 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9380 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9381 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9383 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9384 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9385 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9386 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9387 quoted-printable header encoding.
9389 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9390 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9391 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9395 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9398 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9399 means encode all charsets),
9401 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9402 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9403 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9410 @cindex coding system aliases
9411 @cindex preferred charset
9413 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9415 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9416 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9419 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9420 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9423 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9424 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9426 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9429 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9432 This will almost do the right thing.
9434 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9438 (codepage-setup 1251)
9439 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9443 @node Article Commands
9444 @section Article Commands
9451 @kindex A P (Summary)
9452 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9453 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9454 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9455 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9456 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9457 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9462 @node Summary Sorting
9463 @section Summary Sorting
9464 @cindex summary sorting
9466 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9467 can't really see why you'd want that.
9472 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9473 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9474 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9477 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9478 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9479 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9482 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9483 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9484 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9487 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9488 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9489 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9492 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9493 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9494 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9497 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9498 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9499 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9502 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9503 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9504 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9507 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9508 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9509 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9512 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9513 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9514 Sort using the default sorting method
9515 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9518 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9519 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9520 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9521 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9522 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9526 @node Finding the Parent
9527 @section Finding the Parent
9528 @cindex parent articles
9529 @cindex referring articles
9534 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9535 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9536 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9537 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9538 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9539 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9540 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9541 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9542 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9544 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9545 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9546 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9547 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9548 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9552 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9553 @kindex A R (Summary)
9554 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9555 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9558 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9559 @kindex A T (Summary)
9560 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9561 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9562 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9563 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9564 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9565 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9566 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9568 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9569 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9570 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9571 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9572 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9573 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9576 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9577 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9579 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9580 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9581 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9582 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9583 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9584 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9585 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9588 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9589 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9590 by giving this command a prefix.
9592 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9593 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9594 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9595 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9596 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9597 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9600 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9601 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9602 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9605 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9606 then ask Google if that fails:
9609 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9611 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9614 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9615 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9616 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9617 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9618 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9619 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9620 support this at all.
9623 @node Alternative Approaches
9624 @section Alternative Approaches
9626 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9627 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9630 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9631 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9636 @subsection Pick and Read
9637 @cindex pick and read
9639 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9640 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9641 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9642 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9644 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9645 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9646 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9647 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9648 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9649 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9651 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9656 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9657 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9658 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9659 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9660 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9661 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9662 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9663 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9666 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9667 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9668 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9669 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9673 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9674 Unpick the thread or article
9675 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9676 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9677 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9678 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9679 the thread or article at that line.
9683 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9684 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9685 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9686 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9687 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9688 will still be visible when you are reading.
9692 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9693 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9694 which is mapped to the same function
9695 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9697 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9700 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9703 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9704 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9706 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9707 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9708 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9710 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9711 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9712 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9713 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9714 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9715 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9716 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9720 @subsection Binary Groups
9721 @cindex binary groups
9723 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9724 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9725 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9726 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9727 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9728 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9729 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9732 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9733 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9734 command, when you have turned on this mode
9735 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9737 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9738 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9742 @section Tree Display
9745 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9746 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9747 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9748 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9751 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9754 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9755 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9756 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9758 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9759 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9760 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9761 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9762 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9764 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9765 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9766 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9767 default is @code{modeline}.
9769 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9770 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9771 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9772 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9773 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9774 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9775 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9781 The name of the poster.
9783 The @code{From} header.
9785 The number of the article.
9787 The opening bracket.
9789 The closing bracket.
9794 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9796 Variables related to the display are:
9799 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9800 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9801 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9802 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9804 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9805 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9806 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9808 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9810 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9811 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9812 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9813 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9817 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9818 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9819 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9820 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9821 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9822 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9823 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9824 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9825 other windows displayed next to it.
9827 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9831 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9832 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9835 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9836 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9837 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9838 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9839 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9840 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9841 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9845 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9848 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9858 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9863 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9864 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9866 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9868 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9874 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9875 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9876 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9879 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9880 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9881 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9882 (gnus-add-configuration
9886 (summary 0.75 point)
9891 @xref{Window Layout}.
9894 @node Mail Group Commands
9895 @section Mail Group Commands
9896 @cindex mail group commands
9898 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9899 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9901 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9902 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9907 @kindex B e (Summary)
9908 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9909 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9910 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9911 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9912 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9915 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9916 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9917 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9918 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9919 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9920 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9923 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9925 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9926 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9927 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9928 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9931 @kindex B m (Summary)
9933 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9934 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9935 Move the article from one mail group to another
9936 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9937 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9940 @kindex B c (Summary)
9942 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9943 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9944 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9945 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9946 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9949 @kindex B B (Summary)
9950 @cindex crosspost mail
9951 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9952 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9953 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9954 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9955 be properly updated.
9958 @kindex B i (Summary)
9959 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9960 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9961 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9962 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9965 @kindex B I (Summary)
9966 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9967 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9968 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9969 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9972 @kindex B r (Summary)
9973 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9974 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9975 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9976 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9977 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9978 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9979 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9980 (which is the default).
9984 @kindex B w (Summary)
9986 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9987 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9988 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9989 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9990 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9991 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9992 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9995 @kindex B q (Summary)
9996 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9997 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9998 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9999 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10002 @kindex B t (Summary)
10003 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10004 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10005 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10008 @kindex B p (Summary)
10009 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10010 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10011 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10012 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10013 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10014 article from your news server (or rather, from
10015 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10016 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10017 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10018 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10019 just not have arrived yet.
10022 @kindex K E (Summary)
10023 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10024 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10025 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10026 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10027 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10031 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10032 @cindex moving articles
10033 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
10034 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10035 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10036 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10037 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10038 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10039 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10042 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10043 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10044 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10045 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10049 @node Various Summary Stuff
10050 @section Various Summary Stuff
10053 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10054 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10055 * Summary Generation Commands::
10056 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10060 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10061 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10062 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10063 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10064 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10065 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10067 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10068 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10069 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10072 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10073 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10074 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10076 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10077 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10078 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10079 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10080 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10081 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10084 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10085 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10086 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10087 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10088 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10090 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10091 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10092 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10095 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10096 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10097 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10098 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10099 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10100 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10101 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
10102 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10103 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10104 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10106 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10107 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10108 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10109 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10110 list of articles to be selected.
10112 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10113 the list in one particular group:
10116 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10117 (if (string= group "some.group")
10118 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10122 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10123 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10124 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10125 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10126 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10127 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10128 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10129 other buffers. For example:
10132 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10133 '(message-use-followup-to
10134 (gnus-visible-headers .
10135 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10141 @node Summary Group Information
10142 @subsection Summary Group Information
10147 @kindex H f (Summary)
10148 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10149 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10150 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10151 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10152 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10153 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10154 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10155 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10156 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10159 @kindex H d (Summary)
10160 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10161 Give a brief description of the current group
10162 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10163 rereading the description from the server.
10166 @kindex H h (Summary)
10167 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10168 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10169 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10172 @kindex H i (Summary)
10173 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10174 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10178 @node Searching for Articles
10179 @subsection Searching for Articles
10184 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10185 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10186 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10187 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10190 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10191 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10192 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10193 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10196 @kindex & (Summary)
10197 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10198 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10199 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10200 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10201 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10202 search backward instead.
10204 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10205 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10208 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10209 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10210 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10211 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10214 @node Summary Generation Commands
10215 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10220 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10221 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10222 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10225 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10226 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10227 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10228 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10231 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10232 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10233 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10234 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10239 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10240 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10246 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10247 @kindex A D (Summary)
10248 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10249 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10250 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10251 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10252 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10253 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10254 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10255 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10259 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10260 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10261 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10262 several documents into one biiig group
10263 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10264 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10265 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10266 command understands the process/prefix convention
10267 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10270 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10271 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10272 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10273 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10274 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10275 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10278 @kindex = (Summary)
10279 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10280 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10281 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10284 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10285 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10286 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10287 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10290 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10291 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10292 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10293 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10298 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10299 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10300 @cindex summary exit
10301 @cindex exiting groups
10303 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10304 group and return you to the group buffer.
10310 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10311 @kindex q (Summary)
10312 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10313 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10314 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10315 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10316 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10317 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10318 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10319 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10320 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10321 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10322 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10323 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10327 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10328 @kindex Q (Summary)
10329 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10330 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10331 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10335 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10336 @kindex c (Summary)
10337 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10338 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10339 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10340 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10343 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10344 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10345 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10346 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10349 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10350 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10351 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10352 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10355 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10356 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10357 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10358 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10359 all articles, both read and unread.
10363 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10364 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10365 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10366 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10367 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10368 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10369 articles, both read and unread.
10372 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10373 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10374 Exit the group and go to the next group
10375 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10378 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10379 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10380 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10381 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10384 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10385 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10386 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10387 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10388 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10389 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10392 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10393 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10394 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10395 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10397 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10398 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10399 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10400 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10401 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10402 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10403 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10404 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10405 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10406 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10407 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10408 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10410 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10412 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10413 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10414 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10415 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10416 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10417 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10418 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10419 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10420 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10423 @node Crosspost Handling
10424 @section Crosspost Handling
10428 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10429 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10430 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10431 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10432 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10433 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10436 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10437 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10438 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10439 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10440 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10442 @cindex cross-posting
10444 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10445 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10446 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10447 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10448 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10449 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10450 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10451 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10452 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10453 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10454 the cross reference mechanism.
10456 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10457 @cindex overview.fmt
10458 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10459 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10460 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10461 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10462 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10463 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10466 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10467 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10468 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10473 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10476 @node Duplicate Suppression
10477 @section Duplicate Suppression
10479 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10480 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10481 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10482 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10487 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10488 is evil and not very common.
10491 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10492 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10495 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10496 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10499 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10502 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10503 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10505 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10506 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10507 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10508 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10509 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10510 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10511 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10514 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10515 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10516 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10517 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10518 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10519 saw the article in.
10522 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10523 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10524 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10526 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10527 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10528 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10529 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10530 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10531 session are suppressed.
10533 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10534 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10535 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10536 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10538 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10539 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10540 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10541 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10544 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10545 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10546 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10547 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10548 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10549 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10550 to you to figure out, I think.
10555 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10556 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10557 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10562 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10563 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10564 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10565 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10568 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10569 or newer is recommended.
10573 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10574 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10577 @item mm-verify-option
10578 @vindex mm-verify-option
10579 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10580 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10581 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10583 @item mm-decrypt-option
10584 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10585 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10586 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10587 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10590 @vindex mml1991-use
10591 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10592 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10593 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10597 @vindex mml2015-use
10598 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10599 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10600 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10605 @cindex snarfing keys
10606 @cindex importing PGP keys
10607 @cindex PGP key ring import
10608 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10609 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10610 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10611 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10612 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10613 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10614 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10615 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10616 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10619 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10622 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10623 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10626 @section Mailing List
10627 @cindex mailing list
10630 @kindex A M (summary)
10631 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10632 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10633 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10634 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10637 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10642 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10643 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10644 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10647 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10648 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10649 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10652 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10653 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10654 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10658 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10659 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10660 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10663 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10664 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10665 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10668 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10669 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10670 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10675 @node Article Buffer
10676 @chapter Article Buffer
10677 @cindex article buffer
10679 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10680 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10681 tell gnus otherwise.
10684 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10685 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10686 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10687 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10688 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10692 @node Hiding Headers
10693 @section Hiding Headers
10694 @cindex hiding headers
10695 @cindex deleting headers
10697 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10698 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10700 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10701 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10702 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10703 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10704 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10705 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10706 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10707 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10708 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10710 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10714 @item gnus-visible-headers
10715 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10716 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10717 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10718 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10720 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10721 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10724 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10727 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10730 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10731 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10732 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10733 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10734 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10735 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10737 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10738 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10741 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10744 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10747 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10748 variable will have no effect.
10752 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10753 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10754 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10755 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10756 the headers are to be displayed.
10758 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10759 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10762 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10765 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10766 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10768 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10769 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10770 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10771 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10772 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10773 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10774 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10777 These conditions are:
10780 Remove all empty headers.
10782 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10783 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10785 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10786 @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter is
10789 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10792 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10793 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10795 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10796 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10798 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10799 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10801 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10804 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10806 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10809 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10812 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10813 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10816 This is also the default value for this variable.
10820 @section Using MIME
10821 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10823 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10824 while people stand around yawning.
10826 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10827 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10829 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10830 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10831 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10833 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10834 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10835 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10836 gnus handles @acronym{MIME} by pushing the articles through
10837 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10838 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10839 calls the @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For
10840 more information on @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View, see its manual page
10841 (however it is not existed yet, sorry).
10843 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10844 @acronym{MIME} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set,
10845 then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10846 These can't be avoided.
10848 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10849 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10850 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10851 @acronym{MIME} has decoded the sound file in the article and some
10852 horrible sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you
10853 can't find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are
10854 starting to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't,
10855 and you can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else
10856 in the room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll
10857 feel rather stupid.)
10859 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10861 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10862 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10863 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10864 buffer when there are nobody else.
10866 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10869 @node Customizing Articles
10870 @section Customizing Articles
10871 @cindex article customization
10873 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10874 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10875 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10876 called automatically when you select the articles.
10878 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10879 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10880 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10881 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10883 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10884 for sensible values.
10888 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10891 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10894 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10897 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10900 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10904 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10905 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10906 regexps in the list.
10909 A list where the first element is not a string:
10911 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10912 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10913 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10917 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10921 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10926 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10927 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
10928 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10929 considered to contain just a single part.
10931 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10932 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10933 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10934 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10935 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10936 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10937 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10939 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10940 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10941 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10942 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10945 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10946 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10948 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10950 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10951 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10952 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10953 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10954 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10955 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10956 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10957 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10958 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10959 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10960 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10962 @xref{Article Washing}.
10964 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10965 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10966 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10967 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10968 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10969 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10970 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10972 @xref{Article Date}.
10974 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10975 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10976 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10980 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10982 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10984 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10985 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10986 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10990 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
10994 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
10998 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10999 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11000 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11001 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11002 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11003 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11004 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11005 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11006 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11007 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11009 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11011 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11012 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11013 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11015 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11017 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11018 @item gnus-treat-translate
11019 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11021 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11022 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11023 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11024 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11026 @xref{Article Header}.
11031 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11032 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11033 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11034 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11035 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11039 @node Article Keymap
11040 @section Article Keymap
11042 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11043 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11044 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11045 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11048 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11053 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11054 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11055 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11056 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11059 @kindex DEL (Article)
11060 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11061 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11062 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11065 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11066 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11067 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11068 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11069 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11072 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11073 @findex gnus-article-mail
11074 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11075 given a prefix, include the mail.
11078 @kindex s (Article)
11079 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11080 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11081 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11084 @kindex ? (Article)
11085 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11086 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11087 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11090 @kindex TAB (Article)
11091 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11092 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11093 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11096 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11097 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11098 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11101 @kindex R (Article)
11102 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11103 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11104 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11105 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11109 @kindex F (Article)
11110 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11111 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11112 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11113 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11121 @section Misc Article
11125 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11126 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11127 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11128 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11131 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11132 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11133 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11134 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11135 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11137 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11138 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11139 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11140 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11141 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11142 the contents of the article buffer.
11144 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11145 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11146 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11148 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11149 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11150 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11151 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11153 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11154 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11155 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11156 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11158 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11159 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11160 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11161 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11162 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11168 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11169 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11170 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11175 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11178 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11181 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11182 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11183 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11186 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11189 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11192 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11197 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11201 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11203 @item gnus-break-pages
11204 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11205 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11206 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11207 paging will not be done.
11209 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11210 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11211 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11215 @cindex internationalized domain names
11216 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11217 @item gnus-use-idna
11218 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11219 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11220 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11221 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11222 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11227 @node Composing Messages
11228 @chapter Composing Messages
11229 @cindex composing messages
11232 @cindex sending mail
11237 @cindex using s/mime
11238 @cindex using smime
11240 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11241 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11242 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11243 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11244 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11245 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11248 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11249 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11250 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11251 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11252 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11253 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11254 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11255 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11258 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11259 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11265 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11268 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11269 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11270 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11271 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11272 @code{nil} include all headers.
11274 @item gnus-add-to-list
11275 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11276 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11277 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11279 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11280 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11281 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11282 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11283 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11284 confirmation is should be asked for.
11286 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11287 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11289 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11290 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11291 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11292 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11293 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11298 @node Posting Server
11299 @section Posting Server
11301 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11302 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11304 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11306 It can be quite complicated.
11308 @vindex gnus-post-method
11309 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11310 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11311 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11312 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11313 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11314 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11315 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11316 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11317 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11320 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11323 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11324 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11325 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11326 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11328 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11329 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11331 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11332 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11335 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11336 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11338 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11339 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11340 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11341 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11342 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11343 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11344 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11345 package correctly. An example:
11348 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11349 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11350 ;; The following variable needs to be set because of the FLIM version of
11351 ;; smtpmail.el. Which smtpmail.el is used depends on the `load-path'.
11352 (setq smtp-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11355 To the thing similar to this, there is
11356 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11357 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11358 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11360 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11361 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11362 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11364 @node Mail and Post
11365 @section Mail and Post
11367 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11371 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11372 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11373 @cindex mailing lists
11375 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11376 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11377 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11378 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11379 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11380 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11381 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11382 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11383 still a pain, though.
11385 @item gnus-user-agent
11386 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11389 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11390 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11391 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11392 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11393 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11394 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11395 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11399 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11400 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11401 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11404 @findex ispell-message
11406 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11409 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11410 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11413 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11417 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11418 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11420 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11423 Modify to suit your needs.
11426 @node Archived Messages
11427 @section Archived Messages
11428 @cindex archived messages
11429 @cindex sent messages
11431 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11432 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11433 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11434 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11437 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11438 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11441 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11442 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11443 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11446 (nnfolder "archive"
11447 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11448 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11449 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11450 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11453 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11454 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11455 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11456 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11459 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11460 '(nnfolder "archive"
11461 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11462 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11463 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11466 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11468 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11469 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11470 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11472 This variable can be used to do the following:
11476 Messages will be saved in that group.
11478 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11479 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11480 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11481 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11482 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11483 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11484 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11485 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11488 @item a list of strings
11489 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11491 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11492 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11495 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11500 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11502 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11505 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11507 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11510 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11512 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11513 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11514 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11515 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11518 More complex stuff:
11520 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11521 '((if (message-news-p)
11526 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11527 messages in one file per month:
11530 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11531 '((if (message-news-p)
11533 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11536 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11537 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11539 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11540 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11541 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11542 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11543 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11544 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11545 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11546 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11547 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11548 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11550 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11551 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11552 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11553 this will disable archiving.
11556 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11557 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11558 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11559 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11560 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11563 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11564 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11565 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11568 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11569 but the latter is the preferred method.
11571 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11572 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11573 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11575 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11576 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11577 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11578 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11579 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11580 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11581 changed in the future.
11586 @node Posting Styles
11587 @section Posting Styles
11588 @cindex posting styles
11591 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11593 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11594 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11595 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11598 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11599 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11600 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11601 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11602 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11607 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11608 (organization "What me?"))
11610 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11611 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11612 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11615 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11616 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11617 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11618 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11619 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11620 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11621 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11622 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11624 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11625 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11626 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11627 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11628 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11629 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11630 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11631 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11632 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11633 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11634 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11635 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11636 said to @dfn{match}.
11638 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11639 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11640 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11641 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11642 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11643 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11644 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11645 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11646 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11647 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11650 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11651 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11652 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11653 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11654 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11655 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11656 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11657 references chars lines xref extra.
11659 @vindex message-reply-headers
11661 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11662 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11663 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11665 @findex message-mail-p
11666 @findex message-news-p
11668 So here's a new example:
11671 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11673 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11675 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11676 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11678 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11679 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11680 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11681 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11682 (signature my-news-signature))
11683 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11684 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11685 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11686 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11687 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11688 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11689 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11690 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11691 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11692 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11694 (From (save-excursion
11695 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11696 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11698 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11701 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11702 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11703 if you fill many roles.
11705 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11706 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11707 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11708 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11709 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11710 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11711 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11712 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11717 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11719 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11721 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11722 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11725 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11728 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11729 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11736 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11737 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11738 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11739 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11740 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11742 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11743 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11744 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11745 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11746 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11750 @vindex nndraft-directory
11751 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11752 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11753 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11754 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11755 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11756 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11758 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11759 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11760 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11761 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11762 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11763 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11764 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11765 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11766 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11768 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11769 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11770 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11771 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11772 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11773 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11774 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11775 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11776 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11777 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11778 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11779 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11780 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11781 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11783 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11784 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11785 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11787 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11788 @kindex D e (Draft)
11789 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11790 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11791 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11793 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11796 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11797 @kindex D s (Draft)
11798 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11799 @kindex D S (Draft)
11800 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11801 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11802 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11803 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11804 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11807 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11808 @kindex D t (Draft)
11809 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11810 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11811 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11814 @node Rejected Articles
11815 @section Rejected Articles
11816 @cindex rejected articles
11818 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11819 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11820 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11821 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11823 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11824 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11825 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11826 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11827 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11829 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11830 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11831 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11833 @node Signing and encrypting
11834 @section Signing and encrypting
11836 @cindex using s/mime
11837 @cindex using smime
11839 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11840 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11841 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11842 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11844 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11845 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11846 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11847 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11848 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11849 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11850 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11851 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11852 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11853 automatically encrypted messages.
11855 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @acronym{MIME} part is
11856 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11857 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11862 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11863 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11865 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11868 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11869 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11871 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11874 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11875 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11877 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11880 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11881 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11883 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11886 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11887 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11889 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11892 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11893 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11895 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11898 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11899 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11900 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11904 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11906 @node Select Methods
11907 @chapter Select Methods
11908 @cindex foreign groups
11909 @cindex select methods
11911 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11912 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11913 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11914 personal mail group.
11916 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11917 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11918 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11919 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11920 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11921 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11923 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11924 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11926 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11929 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
11930 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11931 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11932 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11933 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11935 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11938 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11939 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11940 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11941 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11942 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
11943 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11944 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11945 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11949 @node Server Buffer
11950 @section Server Buffer
11952 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11953 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11954 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11955 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11956 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11957 back end represents a virtual server.
11959 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11960 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11961 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11962 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11964 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11965 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11966 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11967 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11968 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11969 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11970 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11972 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11973 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11976 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11977 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11978 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11979 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11980 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11981 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11982 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11985 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11986 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11989 @node Server Buffer Format
11990 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11991 @cindex server buffer format
11993 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11994 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11995 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11996 variable, with some simple extensions:
12001 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12004 The name of this server.
12007 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12010 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12013 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12014 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12015 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12016 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12026 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12029 @node Server Commands
12030 @subsection Server Commands
12031 @cindex server commands
12037 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12038 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12042 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12043 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12046 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12047 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12048 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12052 @findex gnus-server-exit
12053 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12057 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12058 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12062 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12063 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12067 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12068 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12072 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12073 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12077 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12078 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12079 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12084 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12085 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12086 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12087 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12092 @node Example Methods
12093 @subsection Example Methods
12095 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12098 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12101 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12107 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12108 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12111 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12112 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12114 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12115 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12119 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12122 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12123 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12125 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12126 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12127 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12131 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12134 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12137 Here's the method for a public spool:
12141 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12142 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12148 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12149 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12150 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12151 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12152 should probably look something like this:
12156 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12157 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12158 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12159 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12162 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12163 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12164 configuration to the example above:
12167 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12170 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12172 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12173 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12174 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12178 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12179 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12180 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12181 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12184 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12185 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12186 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12187 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12190 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12191 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12193 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12194 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12196 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12197 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12198 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12200 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12202 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12203 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12204 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12205 will contain the following:
12215 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12216 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12219 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12220 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12221 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12224 @node Server Variables
12225 @subsection Server Variables
12226 @cindex server variables
12227 @cindex server parameters
12229 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12230 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12231 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12232 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12233 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12235 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12236 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12237 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12238 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12239 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12240 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12241 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12242 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12243 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12247 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12248 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12249 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12252 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12254 @node Servers and Methods
12255 @subsection Servers and Methods
12257 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12258 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12259 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12260 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12264 @node Unavailable Servers
12265 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12267 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12268 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12269 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12270 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12271 actually the case or not.
12273 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12274 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12275 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12276 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12277 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12278 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12279 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12280 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12282 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12283 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12285 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12286 with the following commands:
12292 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12293 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12294 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12298 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12299 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12300 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12304 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12305 Mark the current server as unreachable
12306 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12309 @kindex M-o (Server)
12310 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12311 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12312 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12315 @kindex M-c (Server)
12316 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12317 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12318 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12322 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12323 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12324 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12328 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12329 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12335 @section Getting News
12336 @cindex reading news
12337 @cindex news back ends
12339 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12340 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12341 or it can read from a local spool.
12344 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12345 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12353 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12354 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12355 server as the, uhm, address.
12357 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12358 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12359 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12360 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12362 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12363 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12364 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12366 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12371 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12372 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12373 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12375 @cindex authentification
12376 @cindex nntp authentification
12377 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12378 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12379 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12380 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12381 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12382 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12383 present in this hook.
12385 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12386 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12387 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12388 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12389 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12390 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12391 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12392 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12393 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12394 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12395 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12396 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12400 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12403 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12405 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12406 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12407 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12408 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12409 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12410 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12411 @samp{force} is explained below.
12415 Here's an example file:
12418 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12419 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12422 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12423 have to be first, for instance.
12425 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12426 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12427 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12428 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12429 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12430 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12431 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12433 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12434 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12440 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12441 previously mentioned.
12443 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12445 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12446 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12447 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12448 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12449 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12452 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12453 '(("innd" (ding))))
12456 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12458 The default value is
12461 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12462 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12463 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12466 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12467 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12469 @item nntp-maximum-request
12470 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12471 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12472 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12473 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12474 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12475 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12476 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12478 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12479 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12480 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12481 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12482 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12483 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12484 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12485 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12486 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12487 no timeouts are done.
12489 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12490 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12491 @c @cindex PPP connections
12492 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12493 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12494 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12495 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12496 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12497 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12498 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12499 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12500 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12501 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12503 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12504 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12505 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12506 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12507 @c described above.
12509 @item nntp-server-hook
12510 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12511 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12514 @item nntp-buggy-select
12515 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12516 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12518 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12519 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12520 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12521 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12524 @item nntp-xover-commands
12525 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12526 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12528 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12529 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12533 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12534 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12535 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12536 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12537 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12538 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12539 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12540 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12541 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12542 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12543 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12545 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12546 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12547 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12549 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12550 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12551 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12552 server closes connection.
12554 @item nntp-record-commands
12555 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12556 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12557 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12558 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12559 that doesn't seem to work.
12561 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12562 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12563 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12564 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12565 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12566 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12567 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12568 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12570 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12571 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12572 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12573 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12574 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12575 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12576 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12579 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12582 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12583 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12585 @item nntp-read-timeout
12586 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12587 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12588 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12589 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12590 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12593 @item nntp-list-options
12594 @vindex nntp-list-options
12595 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12596 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12597 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12598 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12599 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12603 (setq gnus-select-method
12604 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12605 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12608 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12609 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12610 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12611 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12612 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12613 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12614 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12617 (setq gnus-select-method
12618 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12619 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12622 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12623 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12624 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12625 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12626 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12627 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12628 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12631 (setq gnus-select-method
12632 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12633 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12638 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12639 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12640 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12644 @node Direct Functions
12645 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12646 @cindex direct connection functions
12648 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12649 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12650 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12651 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12654 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12655 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12656 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12659 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12660 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12661 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12662 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12663 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12666 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12667 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12669 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12670 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12671 (nntp-port-number )
12672 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12675 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12676 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12677 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12678 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12679 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12680 then define a server as follows:
12683 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12684 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12686 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12687 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12688 (nntp-port-number 563)
12689 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12692 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12693 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12694 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12695 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12696 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12697 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12698 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12699 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12703 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12704 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12705 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12708 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12709 session, which is not a good idea.
12713 @node Indirect Functions
12714 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12715 @cindex indirect connection functions
12717 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12718 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12719 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12720 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12721 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12722 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12725 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12726 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12727 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12728 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12729 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12731 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12734 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12735 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12736 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12737 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12739 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12740 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12741 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12742 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12743 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12744 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12745 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12746 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12750 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12751 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12752 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12753 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12755 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12758 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12759 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12760 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12763 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12764 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12765 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12766 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12768 @item nntp-via-user-password
12769 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12770 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12772 @item nntp-via-envuser
12773 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12774 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12775 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12776 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12778 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12779 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12780 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12781 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12788 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12793 @item nntp-via-user-name
12794 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12795 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12797 @item nntp-via-address
12798 @vindex nntp-via-address
12799 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12804 @node Common Variables
12805 @subsubsection Common Variables
12807 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12808 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12813 @item nntp-pre-command
12814 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12815 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12816 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12817 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12818 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12821 @vindex nntp-address
12822 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12824 @item nntp-port-number
12825 @vindex nntp-port-number
12826 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12827 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12828 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12829 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12830 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12831 not work with named ports.
12833 @item nntp-end-of-line
12834 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12835 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12836 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12837 using a non native connection function.
12839 @item nntp-telnet-command
12840 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12841 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12842 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12843 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12846 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12847 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12848 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12855 @subsection News Spool
12859 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12860 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12861 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12864 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12865 anything else) as the address.
12867 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12868 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12869 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12870 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12874 @item nnspool-inews-program
12875 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12876 Program used to post an article.
12878 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12879 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12880 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12882 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12883 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12884 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12885 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12887 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12888 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12889 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12890 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12892 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12893 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12894 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12896 @item nnspool-active-file
12897 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12898 The name of the active file.
12900 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12901 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12902 The name of the group descriptions file.
12904 @item nnspool-history-file
12905 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12906 The name of the news history file.
12908 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12909 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12910 The name of the active date file.
12912 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12913 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12914 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12917 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12918 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12920 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12921 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12922 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12929 @section Getting Mail
12930 @cindex reading mail
12933 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12937 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12938 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12939 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12940 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12941 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12942 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12943 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12944 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12945 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12946 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
12947 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12948 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12949 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12953 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12954 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12956 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12957 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12958 of a culture shock.
12960 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12961 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12963 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12964 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12965 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12966 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12968 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12970 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12971 deleted? How awful!
12973 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12974 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12975 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12976 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
12979 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12980 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12981 they want to treat a message.
12983 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12984 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12985 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12986 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12987 archived somewhere else.
12989 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12990 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12991 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12992 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12993 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12995 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12996 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12997 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12999 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13000 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13003 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13004 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13005 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13006 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13007 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13009 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13010 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13011 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13012 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13013 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13014 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13018 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13019 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13021 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13022 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13023 and things will happen automatically.
13025 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13026 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13029 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13032 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13033 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13034 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13035 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13036 like any other group.
13038 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13041 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13042 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13043 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13047 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13048 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13049 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13052 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13053 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13054 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13057 @node Splitting Mail
13058 @subsection Splitting Mail
13059 @cindex splitting mail
13060 @cindex mail splitting
13061 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13063 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13064 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13065 to be split into groups.
13068 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13069 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13070 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13071 ("mail.other" "")))
13074 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13075 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13076 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13077 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13078 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13079 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13080 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13083 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13086 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13087 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13088 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13089 mail belongs in that group.
13091 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13092 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13093 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13094 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13095 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13096 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13098 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13099 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13100 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13101 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13102 thinks should carry this mail message.
13104 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13105 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13106 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13107 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13109 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13110 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13111 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13112 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13113 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13115 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13118 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13119 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13120 links. If that's the case for you, set
13121 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13122 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13124 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13125 @findex nnmail-split-history
13126 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13127 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13128 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13129 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13132 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13133 Header lines longer than the value of
13134 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13137 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13138 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13139 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13140 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13141 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13142 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13143 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13144 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13146 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13147 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13148 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13149 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13150 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13151 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13152 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13153 other kinds of entries.)
13155 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13156 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13157 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13158 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13159 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13160 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13161 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13162 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13163 month's rent money.
13167 @subsection Mail Sources
13169 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13170 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13171 maildir, for instance.
13174 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13175 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13176 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13180 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13181 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13183 @cindex mail server
13186 @cindex mail source
13188 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13189 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13194 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13197 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13198 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13199 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13202 The following mail source types are available:
13206 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13212 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13213 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13214 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13218 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13221 An example file mail source:
13224 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13227 Or using the default file name:
13233 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13234 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13235 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13236 mail spool while moving the mail.
13238 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13242 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13245 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13249 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13252 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13254 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13257 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13261 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13262 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13263 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13264 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13265 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13266 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13267 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13268 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13269 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13270 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13272 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13273 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13274 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13275 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13281 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13285 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13289 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13290 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13291 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13292 predicate are considered.
13296 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13300 An example directory mail source:
13303 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13308 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13314 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13315 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13318 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13319 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13320 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13321 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13322 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13325 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13329 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13330 the user is prompted.
13333 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13334 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13337 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13340 The valid format specifier characters are:
13344 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13345 included in this string.
13348 The name of the server.
13351 The port number of the server.
13354 The user name to use.
13357 The password to use.
13360 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13361 corresponding keywords.
13364 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13365 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13368 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13369 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13372 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13373 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13374 mail should be moved to.
13376 @item :authentication
13377 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13378 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13382 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13383 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13384 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13385 programs and libraries:
13389 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13390 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13391 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13393 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13394 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13399 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13400 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13404 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13405 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13407 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13408 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13414 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13417 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13418 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13421 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13424 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13428 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13429 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13430 contains exactly one mail.
13436 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13437 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13440 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13441 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13443 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13444 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13445 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13448 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13449 from locking problems).
13453 Two example maildir mail sources:
13456 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13457 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13461 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13466 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13467 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13468 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13469 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13470 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13472 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13473 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13479 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13480 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13483 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13484 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13487 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13491 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13495 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13496 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13497 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13498 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13500 @item :authentication
13501 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13502 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13503 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13504 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13507 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13508 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13509 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13515 The valid format specifier characters are:
13519 The name of the server.
13522 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13525 The port number of the server.
13528 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13529 corresponding keywords.
13532 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13533 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13536 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13537 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13538 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13539 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13540 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13541 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13544 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13545 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13546 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13547 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13550 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13551 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13555 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13558 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13560 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13564 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13565 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13566 @uref{mail.yahoo.com}.
13568 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13569 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13571 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13577 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13578 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13581 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13585 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13589 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13590 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13594 An example webmail source:
13597 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13599 :password "secret")
13604 @item Common Keywords
13605 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13611 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13612 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13617 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13622 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13623 useful when you use local mail and news.
13628 @subsubsection Function Interface
13630 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13631 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13632 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13633 consider the following mail-source setting:
13636 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13637 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13640 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13641 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13642 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13643 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13644 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13646 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13649 @node Mail Source Customization
13650 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13652 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13653 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13657 @item mail-source-crash-box
13658 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13659 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13660 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13662 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13663 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13664 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13665 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13666 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13667 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13668 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13669 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13671 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13672 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13673 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13674 files. This variable only applies when
13675 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13677 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13678 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13679 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13681 @item mail-source-directory
13682 @vindex mail-source-directory
13683 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13684 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13685 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13688 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13689 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13690 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13691 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13692 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13693 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13695 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13696 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13697 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13699 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13700 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13701 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13702 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13707 @node Fetching Mail
13708 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13710 @vindex mail-sources
13711 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13712 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13713 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13714 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13716 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13717 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13720 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13721 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13726 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13727 :password "secret")))
13730 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13734 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13735 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13738 :password "secret")))
13742 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13743 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13744 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13745 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13746 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13747 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13751 @node Mail Back End Variables
13752 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13754 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13758 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13759 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13760 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13761 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13763 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13764 @item nnmail-split-hook
13765 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13766 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13767 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13768 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13769 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13770 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13771 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13772 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13773 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13776 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13777 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13778 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13779 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13780 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13781 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13782 starting to handle the new mail) and
13783 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13784 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13785 default file modes the new mail files get:
13788 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13789 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13791 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13792 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13795 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13796 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13797 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13798 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13799 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13800 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13801 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13803 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13804 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13805 @findex delete-file
13806 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13808 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13809 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13810 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13811 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13812 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13814 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13815 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13816 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13817 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13818 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13820 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13821 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13822 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13827 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13828 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13829 @cindex mail splitting
13830 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13832 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13833 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13834 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13835 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13836 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13837 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13839 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13842 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13843 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13844 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13845 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13847 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13848 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13849 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13850 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13851 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13852 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13853 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13854 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13855 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13856 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13857 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13858 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13859 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13860 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13861 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13862 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13863 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13867 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13868 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13869 the five possible split syntaxes:
13874 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13875 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13879 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13880 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13881 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13882 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13883 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13884 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13885 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13886 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13889 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13890 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13891 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13892 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13895 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13896 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13899 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13900 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13903 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13904 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13905 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13906 function should return a @var{split}.
13909 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13910 body of the messages:
13913 (defun split-on-body ()
13915 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13916 (goto-char (point-min))
13917 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13921 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13922 when the @code{:} function is run.
13925 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13926 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13927 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13928 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13931 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13935 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13936 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13937 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13938 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13939 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13941 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13942 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
13943 they are expanded as specified by the variable
13944 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
13945 where the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr}
13946 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
13947 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
13951 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
13953 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
13954 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
13956 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
13959 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13960 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13961 when all this splitting is performed.
13963 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13964 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13965 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13968 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13971 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13972 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13974 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13975 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13976 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13977 groupings 1 through 9.
13979 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13980 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13981 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13982 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13983 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13984 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13985 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13986 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13987 it once per thread.
13989 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
13990 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
13991 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
13992 using the colon feature, like so:
13994 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
13995 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13997 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13998 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14002 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14003 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14004 in the file specified by the variable
14005 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14006 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14007 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14008 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14009 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14010 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14011 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14012 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14013 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14014 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14015 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14016 300 kBytes in size.)
14017 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14018 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14019 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14020 messages goes into the new group.
14022 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14023 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14024 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14025 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14026 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14027 ``outgoing'' group.
14030 @node Group Mail Splitting
14031 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14032 @cindex mail splitting
14033 @cindex group mail splitting
14035 @findex gnus-group-split
14036 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14037 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14038 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
14039 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14040 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14041 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14042 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
14043 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14045 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14046 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
14047 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14048 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
14050 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14051 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14052 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14053 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
14054 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14055 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14056 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14058 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14059 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14060 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14061 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14062 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
14063 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14064 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14066 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14067 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14068 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14069 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14070 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14071 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14072 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14073 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14074 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14075 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14076 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14077 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14078 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14080 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14085 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14086 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14088 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14089 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14090 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14091 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14093 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14096 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14097 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14098 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14101 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14102 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14103 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14107 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14108 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14109 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14113 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14116 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14117 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14118 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14119 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14120 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14121 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
14122 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14123 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14124 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14126 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14127 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14128 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14129 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14130 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14131 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14132 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14133 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14134 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14136 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14137 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14138 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14139 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14140 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14141 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14144 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14147 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14148 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14149 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14150 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14151 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14154 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14155 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14156 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14157 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14159 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14160 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14161 @cindex incorporating old mail
14162 @cindex import old mail
14164 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14165 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14166 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14169 Doing so can be quite easy.
14171 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14172 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14173 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14174 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14175 your @code{nnml} groups.
14181 Go to the group buffer.
14184 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14185 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14188 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14191 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14192 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14195 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14196 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14199 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14200 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14201 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14202 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14203 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14205 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14206 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14207 using the new mail back end.
14210 @node Expiring Mail
14211 @subsection Expiring Mail
14212 @cindex article expiry
14214 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14215 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14216 different approach to mail reading.
14218 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14219 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14220 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14221 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14222 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14223 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14226 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14227 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14228 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14229 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14230 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14231 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14232 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14233 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14234 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14236 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14237 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14238 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14239 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14240 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14241 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14242 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14245 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14246 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14247 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14248 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14249 into its own group.)
14251 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14252 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14253 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14254 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14255 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14256 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14257 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14258 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14261 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14262 Groups that match the regular expression
14263 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14264 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14265 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14267 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14268 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14269 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14270 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14271 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14273 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14275 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14276 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14277 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14280 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14281 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14282 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14283 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14284 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14286 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14287 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14290 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14291 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14294 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14295 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14297 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14298 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14299 don't really mix very well.
14301 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14302 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14303 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14304 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14307 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14308 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14309 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14310 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14313 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14315 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14317 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14319 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14321 ((string= group "important")
14327 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14328 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14330 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14331 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14332 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14335 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14336 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14338 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14339 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14340 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14341 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14342 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14343 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14344 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14345 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14346 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14347 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14348 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14349 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14350 name or @code{delete}.
14352 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14354 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14357 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14358 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14359 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14360 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14361 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14364 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14365 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14366 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14367 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14368 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14371 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14372 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14373 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14374 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14375 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14376 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14378 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14379 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14380 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14381 easier for procmail users.
14383 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14384 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14385 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14386 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14387 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14388 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14389 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14390 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14391 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14392 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14393 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14394 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14395 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14398 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14400 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14401 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14402 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14403 auto-expire turned on.
14407 @subsection Washing Mail
14408 @cindex mail washing
14409 @cindex list server brain damage
14410 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14412 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14413 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14414 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14415 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14416 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14417 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14419 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14420 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14421 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14424 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14425 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14426 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14427 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14430 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14431 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14432 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14433 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14434 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14437 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14438 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14439 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14440 Emacs running on MS machines.
14444 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14445 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14446 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14447 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14450 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14451 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14452 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14453 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14455 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14456 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14457 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14458 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14459 into a feature by documenting it.)
14461 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14462 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14463 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14464 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14465 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14466 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14467 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14470 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14471 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14474 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14475 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14478 This can also be done non-destructively with
14479 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14481 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14482 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14483 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14485 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14486 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14488 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14489 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14490 @code{References} headers.
14494 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14495 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14496 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14500 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14501 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14502 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14509 @subsection Duplicates
14511 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14512 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14513 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14514 @cindex duplicate mails
14515 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14516 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14517 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14518 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14519 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14520 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14521 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14522 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14523 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14524 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14525 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14526 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14527 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14529 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14530 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14531 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14532 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14534 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14537 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14538 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14542 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14543 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14544 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14545 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14546 (any mail "mail.misc")
14547 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14553 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14554 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14555 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14559 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14560 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14561 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14562 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14563 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14566 @node Not Reading Mail
14567 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14569 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14570 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14571 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14573 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14574 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14575 mail, which should help.
14577 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14578 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14579 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14580 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14581 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14582 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14583 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14584 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14585 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14586 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14587 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14589 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14590 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14594 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14595 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14597 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14598 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14599 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14601 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14602 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14603 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14607 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14608 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14609 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14610 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14611 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14612 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14613 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14617 @node Unix Mail Box
14618 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14620 @cindex unix mail box
14622 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14623 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14624 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14625 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14626 which group it belongs in.
14628 Virtual server settings:
14631 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14632 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14633 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14636 @item nnmbox-active-file
14637 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14638 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14639 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14641 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14642 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14643 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14644 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14649 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14653 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14654 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14655 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14656 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14657 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14659 Virtual server settings:
14662 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14663 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14664 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14666 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14667 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14668 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14669 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14671 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14672 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14673 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14679 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14681 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14683 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14684 format. It should be used with some caution.
14686 @vindex nnml-directory
14687 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14688 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14689 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14690 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14692 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14695 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14696 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14697 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14698 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14699 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14700 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14701 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14702 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14704 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14705 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14706 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14707 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14709 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14711 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14712 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14713 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14714 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14715 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14716 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14717 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14718 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14721 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14722 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14723 them next time it starts.
14725 Virtual server settings:
14728 @item nnml-directory
14729 @vindex nnml-directory
14730 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14731 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14734 @item nnml-active-file
14735 @vindex nnml-active-file
14736 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14737 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14739 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14740 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14741 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14742 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14744 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14745 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14746 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14749 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14750 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14751 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14752 default is @code{nil}.
14754 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14755 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14756 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14758 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14759 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14760 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14762 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14763 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14764 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14765 default is @code{nil}.
14767 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14768 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14769 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14771 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14772 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14773 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14778 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14779 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of whack,
14780 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14781 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14782 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14783 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14784 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14789 @subsubsection MH Spool
14791 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14793 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14794 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14795 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14796 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14798 Virtual server settings:
14801 @item nnmh-directory
14802 @vindex nnmh-directory
14803 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14804 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14807 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14808 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14809 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14813 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14814 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14815 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14816 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14817 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14818 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14819 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14824 @subsubsection Maildir
14828 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14829 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14830 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14831 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14832 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14835 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14836 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14837 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14838 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14839 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14840 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14843 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14844 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14845 data in the filesystem.
14847 nnmaildir stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each maildir. So you
14848 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14851 Virtual server settings:
14855 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14856 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14857 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14858 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14859 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14860 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14861 starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14862 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14863 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14866 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14867 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14868 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14869 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14870 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14871 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14872 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14873 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14874 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14875 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14877 @item target-prefix
14878 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14879 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14880 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14883 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14884 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14885 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14886 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14887 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14888 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14889 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14890 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14891 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14893 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14894 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14895 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14896 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14897 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14899 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14900 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14901 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14902 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14903 @code{force} argument.
14905 @item directory-files
14906 This should be a function with the same interface as
14907 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14908 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14909 parameter is optional; the default is
14910 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14911 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14912 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14913 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14914 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14915 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14918 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14919 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14920 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14921 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14922 value is @code{nil}.
14924 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14925 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14926 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14927 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14928 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14931 @subsubsection Group parameters
14933 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14934 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14935 behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after one week,
14936 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14937 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14938 duplicate the behavior you already have with another back end.
14940 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14941 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14942 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14943 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14944 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14945 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14946 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14947 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14948 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14952 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14953 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14954 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14955 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14956 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
14957 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14958 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14959 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14960 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14961 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14962 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14963 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14966 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
14968 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
14970 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
14971 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
14972 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14973 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14974 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14975 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14976 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14977 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14978 article. So that form can refer to
14979 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14980 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14981 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14982 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
14985 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14986 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14987 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14988 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14989 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14990 directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14991 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14992 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14993 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14994 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14995 extra copies of the articles.
14997 @item directory-files
14998 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14999 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15000 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15001 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15003 @item distrust-Lines:
15004 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
15005 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15006 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15009 A list of mark symbols, such as
15010 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
15011 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
15012 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
15013 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
15014 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15015 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15018 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15019 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
15020 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
15021 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15022 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15023 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15024 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15026 @item nov-cache-size
15027 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To speed
15028 things up, nnmaildir keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory for a limited number of
15029 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
15030 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
15031 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened---i.e.,
15032 when you first start Gnus, typically. The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized
15033 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
15034 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
15035 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
15036 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15039 @subsubsection Article identification
15040 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15041 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15042 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
15043 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15044 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15045 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15046 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15047 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15048 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15049 request the article in the summary buffer.
15051 @subsubsection NOV data
15052 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used to
15053 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15054 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15055 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15056 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically when the
15057 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
15058 nnmaildir to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a single article simply by
15059 deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV} file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
15060 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
15061 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15063 @subsubsection Article marks
15064 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15065 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15066 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
15067 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
15068 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
15069 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
15070 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
15071 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15073 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15074 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15075 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15076 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15077 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
15078 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
15079 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
15080 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
15081 changes, and might undo them.
15085 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15087 @cindex mbox folders
15088 @cindex mail folders
15090 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
15091 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
15092 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
15095 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15097 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15098 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15099 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15100 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15101 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15102 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15103 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15104 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15105 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15106 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15108 Virtual server settings:
15111 @item nnfolder-directory
15112 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15113 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15114 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15117 @item nnfolder-active-file
15118 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15119 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15121 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15122 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15123 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15124 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15126 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15127 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15128 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15131 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15132 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15133 @cindex backup files
15134 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15135 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15136 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15137 your @file{.emacs} file:
15140 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15141 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15143 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15146 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15147 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15148 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15149 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15150 extract some information from it before removing it.
15152 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15153 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15154 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15155 default is @code{nil}.
15157 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15158 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15159 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15161 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15162 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15163 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15164 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15166 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15167 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15168 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15169 default is @code{nil}.
15171 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15172 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15173 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15175 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15176 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15177 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15178 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15183 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15184 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15185 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15186 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15187 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15188 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15191 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15192 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15194 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15195 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15196 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15197 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15198 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15200 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15201 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15202 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15203 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15204 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15205 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15206 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15207 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15210 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15211 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15212 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15213 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15218 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15219 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15220 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15221 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15222 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15223 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15224 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15225 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15226 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15227 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15228 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15229 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15230 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15235 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15236 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15237 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15238 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15239 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15240 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15241 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15242 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15243 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15244 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15245 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15246 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15247 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15248 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15250 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15251 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15256 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15257 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15258 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15259 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15260 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15261 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15262 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15263 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15264 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15265 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15266 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15267 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15268 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15269 provided by the active file and overviews.
15271 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15272 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15273 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15274 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15275 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15278 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15279 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15284 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15285 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15286 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15287 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15288 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15289 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15290 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15294 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15295 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15296 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15297 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15298 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15299 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15300 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15301 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15302 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15304 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15305 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15306 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15307 friendly mail back end all over.
15311 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15312 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15315 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15316 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15317 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15318 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15319 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15320 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15321 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15322 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15325 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15326 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15327 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15328 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15329 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15330 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15331 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15332 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15333 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15334 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15335 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15337 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15338 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15339 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15340 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15341 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15344 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15345 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15346 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15347 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15348 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15349 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15350 removed in the future.
15352 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15353 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15354 on your file system.
15356 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15357 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15362 @node Browsing the Web
15363 @section Browsing the Web
15365 @cindex browsing the web
15369 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15370 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15371 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15372 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15373 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15374 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15375 even know what a news group is.
15377 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15378 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15379 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15380 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15381 you mad in the end.
15383 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15386 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15387 interfaces to these sources.
15391 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15392 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15393 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15394 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15395 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15396 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15399 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15401 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15402 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15403 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15404 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15405 though, you should be ok.
15407 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15408 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15409 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15410 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15411 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15413 @node Archiving Mail
15414 @subsection Archiving Mail
15415 @cindex archiving mail
15416 @cindex backup of mail
15418 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15419 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15420 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15421 marks is fairly simple.
15423 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15424 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15427 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15428 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15429 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15430 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15431 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15432 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15433 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15434 before you restore the data.
15436 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15437 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15438 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15439 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15440 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15441 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15442 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15443 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15444 is unnecessary in that case.
15447 @subsection Web Searches
15452 @cindex Usenet searches
15453 @cindex searching the Usenet
15455 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15456 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15457 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15458 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15459 searches without having to use a browser.
15461 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15462 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15463 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15464 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15465 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15467 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15468 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15469 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15470 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15471 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15472 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15473 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15474 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15475 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15476 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15479 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15480 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15481 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15482 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15483 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15484 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15486 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15487 to use @code{nnweb}.
15489 Virtual server variables:
15494 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15495 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15496 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15499 @vindex nnweb-search
15500 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15502 @item nnweb-max-hits
15503 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15504 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15507 @item nnweb-type-definition
15508 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15509 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15510 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15515 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15519 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15522 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15525 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15529 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15536 @subsection Slashdot
15540 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15541 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15542 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15544 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15545 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15548 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15549 '((nnslashdot "")))
15552 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15553 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15554 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15555 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15556 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15559 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15560 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15562 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15563 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15564 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15565 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15566 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15567 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15568 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15570 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15573 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15574 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15575 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15576 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15577 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15578 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15579 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15581 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15582 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15583 The login name to use when posting.
15585 @item nnslashdot-password
15586 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15587 The password to use when posting.
15589 @item nnslashdot-directory
15590 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15591 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15592 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15594 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15595 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15596 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15597 news articles and comments. The default is@*
15598 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15600 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15601 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15602 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15604 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15606 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15607 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15608 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15610 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15612 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15613 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15614 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15616 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15617 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15618 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15619 updated. The default is 0.
15626 @subsection Ultimate
15628 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15630 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15631 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15632 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15633 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15635 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15636 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15637 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15638 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15639 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15640 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15641 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15643 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15646 @item nnultimate-directory
15647 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15648 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15649 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15654 @subsection Web Archive
15656 @cindex Web Archive
15658 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15659 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15660 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15661 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15664 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15665 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15666 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15667 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15668 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15669 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15670 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15671 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15673 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15676 @item nnwarchive-directory
15677 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15678 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15679 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15681 @item nnwarchive-login
15682 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15683 The account name on the web server.
15685 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15686 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15687 The password for your account on the web server.
15695 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15696 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15697 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15700 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15701 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15704 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15707 @item nnrss-directory
15708 @vindex nnrss-directory
15709 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15710 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15714 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15715 the summary buffer.
15718 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15719 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15721 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15723 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15724 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15727 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15730 (require 'browse-url)
15732 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15734 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15737 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15738 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15741 (browse-url (cdr url))
15742 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15743 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15745 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15746 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15747 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15748 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15751 @node Customizing w3
15752 @subsection Customizing w3
15758 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15759 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15760 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15762 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15763 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15764 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15767 (eval-after-load "w3"
15769 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15770 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15771 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15772 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15774 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15777 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15778 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15785 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15787 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15788 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15789 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15790 specify the network address of the server.
15792 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15793 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15794 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15795 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15796 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15797 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15799 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15800 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15801 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15802 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15804 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15805 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15806 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15807 usage explained in this section.
15809 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
15810 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
15811 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
15815 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15816 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15817 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15819 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15820 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15821 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15823 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15824 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15825 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15826 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15827 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15828 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15829 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15830 (nnimap-stream network))
15831 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15833 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15834 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15835 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15838 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15839 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15840 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15841 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15843 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15848 @item nnimap-address
15849 @vindex nnimap-address
15851 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15852 server name if not specified.
15854 @item nnimap-server-port
15855 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15856 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15858 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15861 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15862 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15865 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15866 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15867 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15868 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15869 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15870 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15871 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15873 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15874 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15875 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15878 Example server specification:
15881 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15882 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15883 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15886 @item nnimap-stream
15887 @vindex nnimap-stream
15888 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15889 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15890 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
15891 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
15892 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15894 Example server specification:
15897 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15898 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15901 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15905 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15906 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15908 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15910 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15911 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15914 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15915 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15917 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15918 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15920 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
15922 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15925 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15926 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15927 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15928 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15929 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15930 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15931 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15932 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15933 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15936 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15937 needed. It is available from
15938 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15940 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15941 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15942 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
15943 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
15944 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15945 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15946 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15949 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15950 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15951 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15952 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
15953 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15954 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15955 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15958 @vindex imap-shell-program
15959 @vindex imap-shell-host
15960 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15961 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15963 @item nnimap-authenticator
15964 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15966 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15967 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15969 Example server specification:
15972 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15973 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15976 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15980 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15981 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15983 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15986 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15987 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15989 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15991 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15993 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
15996 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15998 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15999 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16000 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16001 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16002 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16003 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16006 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16007 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16008 running in circles yet?
16010 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16011 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16014 The possible options are:
16019 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16022 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16023 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16024 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16025 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16027 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16032 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16033 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16035 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16036 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16037 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16038 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16039 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16042 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16043 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16046 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16047 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16048 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16049 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16052 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16053 as ticked for other users.
16055 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16057 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16059 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16060 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16061 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16062 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16064 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16065 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16066 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16067 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16069 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16070 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16072 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16073 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16074 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16077 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16078 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16080 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16081 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16087 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16088 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16089 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16090 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16091 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16096 @node Splitting in IMAP
16097 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16098 @cindex splitting imap mail
16100 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16101 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16102 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16103 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16104 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16108 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16109 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16110 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16112 Here are the variables of interest:
16116 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16117 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16119 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16121 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16122 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16123 found will be used.
16125 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16127 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16128 @cindex splitting, inbox
16130 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16132 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16133 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16134 splitting is disabled!
16137 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16138 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16141 No nnmail equivalent.
16143 @item nnimap-split-rule
16144 @cindex splitting, rules
16145 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16147 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16150 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16151 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16152 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16153 Neither did I, we need examples.
16156 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16158 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16159 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16160 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16163 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16164 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16165 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16167 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16168 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16172 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16175 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16176 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16178 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16179 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16180 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16181 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16183 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16184 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16185 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16186 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16187 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16188 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16190 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16191 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16192 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16194 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16195 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16196 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16198 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16200 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16201 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16202 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16205 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16206 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16207 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16208 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16209 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16210 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16213 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16214 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16215 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16216 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16217 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16218 group/function elements.
16220 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16222 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16224 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16226 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16227 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16229 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16230 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16231 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16234 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16235 @cindex splitting, fancy
16236 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16237 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16239 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16240 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16241 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16243 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16244 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16245 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16246 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16251 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16252 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16255 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16257 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16258 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16259 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16261 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16262 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16263 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16264 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16268 @node Expiring in IMAP
16269 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16270 @cindex expiring imap mail
16272 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16273 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16274 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16275 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16276 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16277 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16280 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16281 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16282 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16283 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16284 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16285 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16286 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16287 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16291 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16292 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16294 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16295 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16297 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16299 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16300 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16301 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16302 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16306 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16307 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16308 @cindex editing imap acls
16309 @cindex Access Control Lists
16310 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16312 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16314 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16315 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16316 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16319 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16320 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16321 editing window with detailed instructions.
16323 Some possible uses:
16327 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16328 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16329 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16331 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16332 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16333 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16337 @node Expunging mailboxes
16338 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16342 @cindex manual expunging
16344 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16346 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16347 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16348 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16350 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16353 @node A note on namespaces
16354 @subsection A note on namespaces
16355 @cindex IMAP namespace
16358 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16359 by the following text in the RFC:
16362 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16364 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16365 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16366 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16367 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16369 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16370 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16371 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16372 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16373 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16374 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16377 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16378 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16379 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16381 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16382 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16383 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16384 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16385 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16386 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16387 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16388 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16391 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16392 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16393 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16395 @node Other Sources
16396 @section Other Sources
16398 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16399 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16403 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16404 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16405 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16406 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16407 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16411 @node Directory Groups
16412 @subsection Directory Groups
16414 @cindex directory groups
16416 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16417 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16420 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16421 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16422 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16423 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16425 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16426 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16427 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16428 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16429 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16431 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16433 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16434 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16435 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16436 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16439 @node Anything Groups
16440 @subsection Anything Groups
16443 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16444 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16445 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16448 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16449 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16450 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16451 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16452 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16453 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16454 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16455 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16456 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16457 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16460 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16461 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16462 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16463 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16465 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16466 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16467 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16468 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16470 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16471 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16472 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16473 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16474 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16475 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16476 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16477 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16482 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16483 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16484 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16485 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16487 @item nneething-exclude-files
16488 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16489 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16490 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16492 @item nneething-include-files
16493 @vindex nneething-include-files
16494 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16495 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16497 @item nneething-map-file
16498 @vindex nneething-map-file
16499 Name of the map files.
16503 @node Document Groups
16504 @subsection Document Groups
16506 @cindex documentation group
16509 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16510 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16517 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16522 The standard Unix mbox file.
16524 @cindex MMDF mail box
16526 The MMDF mail box format.
16529 Several news articles appended into a file.
16532 @cindex rnews batch files
16533 The rnews batch transport format.
16534 @cindex forwarded messages
16537 Forwarded articles.
16540 Netscape mail boxes.
16543 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16545 @item standard-digest
16546 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16549 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16551 @item lanl-gov-announce
16552 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16554 @item rfc822-forward
16555 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16558 The Outlook mail box.
16561 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16564 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16567 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16570 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16576 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16579 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16585 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16586 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16587 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16590 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16591 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16592 group. And that's it.
16594 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16595 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16596 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16597 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16598 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16599 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16600 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16601 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16602 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16603 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16605 Virtual server variables:
16608 @item nndoc-article-type
16609 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16610 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16611 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16612 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16613 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16614 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16616 @item nndoc-post-type
16617 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16618 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16619 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16624 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16628 @node Document Server Internals
16629 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16631 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16632 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16633 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16634 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16636 First, here's an example document type definition:
16640 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16641 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16644 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16645 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16646 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16647 types can be defined with very few settings:
16650 @item first-article
16651 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16652 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16655 @item article-begin
16656 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16657 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16659 @item head-begin-function
16660 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16663 @item nndoc-head-begin
16664 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16667 @item nndoc-head-end
16668 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16669 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16671 @item body-begin-function
16672 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16676 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16679 @item body-end-function
16680 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16684 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16687 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16688 regexp will be totally ignored.
16692 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16693 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16694 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16695 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16696 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16699 @item prepare-body-function
16700 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16701 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16702 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16704 @item article-transform-function
16705 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16706 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16707 body of the article.
16709 @item generate-head-function
16710 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16711 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16712 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16713 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16717 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16722 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16723 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16724 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16725 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16726 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16727 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16728 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16729 (subtype digest guess))
16732 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16733 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16734 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16735 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16736 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16738 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16739 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16740 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16741 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16742 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16743 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16744 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16745 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16746 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16747 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16748 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16749 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16757 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16758 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16759 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16761 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16762 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16763 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16766 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16767 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16768 that interested in doing things properly.
16770 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16771 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16774 First some terminology:
16779 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16780 get news and/or mail from.
16783 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16784 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16787 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16791 @item message packets
16792 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16793 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16794 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16796 @item response packets
16797 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16798 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16799 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16809 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16810 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16811 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16812 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16815 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16818 You put the packet in your home directory.
16821 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16822 the native or secondary server.
16825 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16826 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16829 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16833 You transfer this packet to the server.
16836 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16839 You then repeat until you die.
16843 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16844 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16847 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16848 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16849 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16853 @node SOUP Commands
16854 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16856 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16860 @kindex G s b (Group)
16861 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16862 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16863 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16864 process/prefix convention.
16867 @kindex G s w (Group)
16868 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16869 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16872 @kindex G s s (Group)
16873 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16874 Send all replies from the replies packet
16875 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16878 @kindex G s p (Group)
16879 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16880 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16883 @kindex G s r (Group)
16884 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16885 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16888 @kindex O s (Summary)
16889 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16890 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16891 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16892 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16897 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16902 @item gnus-soup-directory
16903 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16904 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16905 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16907 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16908 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16909 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16910 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16912 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16913 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16914 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16915 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16917 @item gnus-soup-packer
16918 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16919 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16920 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16922 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16923 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16924 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16925 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16927 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16928 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16929 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16931 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16932 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16933 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16934 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16940 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16943 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16944 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16945 you can read them at leisure.
16947 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16951 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16952 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16953 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16954 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16956 @item nnsoup-directory
16957 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16958 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16959 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16961 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16962 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16963 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16964 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16966 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16967 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16968 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16969 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16970 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16972 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16973 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16974 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16975 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16977 @item nnsoup-active-file
16978 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16979 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16980 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16981 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16982 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16984 @item nnsoup-packer
16985 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16986 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16987 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16989 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16990 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16991 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16992 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16994 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16995 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16996 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16999 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17000 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17001 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17004 @item nnsoup-always-save
17005 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17006 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17012 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17014 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17015 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17016 more for that to happen.
17018 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17019 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17020 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17023 In specific, this is what it does:
17026 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17027 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17030 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17031 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17032 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17035 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17036 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17037 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17040 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17041 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17042 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17044 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17050 @item nngateway-address
17051 @vindex nngateway-address
17052 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17054 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17055 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17056 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17057 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17058 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17059 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17060 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17063 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17064 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17065 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17068 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17071 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17074 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17077 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17079 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17082 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17083 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17084 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17086 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17088 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17089 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17090 @code{nngateway-address}.
17098 (setq gnus-post-method
17100 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17101 (nngateway-header-transformation
17102 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17105 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17108 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17113 @node Combined Groups
17114 @section Combined Groups
17116 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17120 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17121 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17125 @node Virtual Groups
17126 @subsection Virtual Groups
17128 @cindex virtual groups
17129 @cindex merging groups
17131 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17134 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17135 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17136 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17138 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17139 regexp to match component groups.
17141 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17142 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17143 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17144 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17145 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17146 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17147 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17148 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17150 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17151 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17154 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17157 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17158 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17160 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17161 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17162 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17163 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17166 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17169 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17170 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17171 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17173 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17174 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17175 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17176 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17177 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17179 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17180 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17181 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17183 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17184 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17185 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17186 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17187 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17188 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17189 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17190 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17191 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17192 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17193 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17195 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17196 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17197 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17198 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17199 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17200 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17201 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17203 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17204 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17206 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17207 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17211 @node Kibozed Groups
17212 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17216 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17217 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17218 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17219 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17221 @kindex G k (Group)
17222 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17225 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17226 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17227 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17228 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17230 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17231 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17232 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17234 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17235 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17236 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17237 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17238 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17239 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17240 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17241 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17243 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17244 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17245 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17246 Stranger things have happened.
17248 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17249 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17251 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17252 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17253 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17254 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17255 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17256 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17257 component articles.
17259 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17260 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17263 @node Gnus Unplugged
17264 @section Gnus Unplugged
17269 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17271 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17272 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17273 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17274 read news. Believe it or not.
17276 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17277 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17278 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17279 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17280 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17282 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17283 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17284 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17285 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17286 reading news on a machine.
17288 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17289 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17291 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17294 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17295 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17296 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17297 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17298 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17299 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17300 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17301 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17302 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17303 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17304 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17305 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17306 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17311 @subsection Agent Basics
17313 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17315 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17316 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17317 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17318 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17320 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17321 connected to the net continuously.
17323 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17324 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17326 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17327 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17328 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17329 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17330 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17332 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17333 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17334 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17335 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17336 they're kinda like plugged always).
17338 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17339 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17340 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17343 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17344 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17345 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17346 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17347 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17349 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17354 @findex gnus-unplugged
17355 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17356 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17357 already fetched while in this mode.
17360 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17361 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17362 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17363 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17364 Source Specifiers}).
17367 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17368 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17369 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17370 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17371 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17374 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17375 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17376 then you read the news offline.
17379 And then you go to step 2.
17382 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17388 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17389 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17390 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17391 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17392 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17393 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17394 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17395 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17398 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17399 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17400 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17401 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17403 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17404 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17405 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17406 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17407 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17408 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17412 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17416 @node Agent Categories
17417 @subsection Agent Categories
17419 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17420 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17421 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17422 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17423 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17424 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17425 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17427 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17428 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17429 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17430 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17431 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17433 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17434 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17435 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17436 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17437 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17440 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17441 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17442 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17443 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17444 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17445 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17449 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17450 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17451 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17455 @node Category Syntax
17456 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17458 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17459 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17460 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17464 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17465 The name of the category.
17467 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17468 The list of groups that are in this category.
17470 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17471 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17472 are eligible for downloading; and
17474 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17475 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17476 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17477 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17479 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17480 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17481 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17482 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17483 only groups that should not be expired.
17485 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17486 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17487 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17489 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17490 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17492 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17493 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17495 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17496 an integer that overrides the value of
17497 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17499 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17500 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17503 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17506 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17507 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17508 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17511 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17512 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17513 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17514 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17516 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17517 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17518 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17520 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17521 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17522 operators sprinkled in between.
17524 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17526 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17527 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17533 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17534 short (for some value of ``short'').
17536 Here's a more complex predicate:
17545 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17546 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17549 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17550 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17551 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17553 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17554 you want to do, you can write your own.
17556 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17557 bound to the value determined by calling
17558 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17559 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17560 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17561 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17562 predicate to individual groups.
17566 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17567 lines; default 100.
17570 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17571 lines; default 200.
17574 True iff the article has a download score less than
17575 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17578 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17579 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17582 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17583 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17584 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17593 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17594 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17595 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17598 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17599 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17600 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17601 something along the lines of the following:
17604 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17605 "Say whether an article is old."
17606 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17607 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17610 with the predicate then defined as:
17613 (not my-article-old-p)
17616 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17617 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17621 (require 'gnus-agent)
17622 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17623 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17624 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17627 and simply specify your predicate as:
17633 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17634 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17635 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17636 just don't give a damn.
17638 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17639 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17640 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17641 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17642 parameters like so:
17645 (agent-predicate . short)
17648 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17649 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17650 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17652 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17655 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17658 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17659 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17660 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17663 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17664 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17665 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17666 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17667 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17668 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17670 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17671 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17672 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17673 if it's to be specific to that group.
17675 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17682 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17683 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17689 Category specification
17693 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17699 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17702 (agent-score ("from"
17703 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17708 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17714 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17715 keywords stated above.
17721 Category specification
17724 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17730 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17734 Group Parameter specification
17737 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17740 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17745 Use @code{normal} score files
17747 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17748 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17749 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17750 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17752 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17753 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17754 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17755 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17759 Category Specification
17766 Group Parameter specification
17769 (agent-score . file)
17774 @node Category Buffer
17775 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17777 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17778 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17779 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17781 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17785 @kindex q (Category)
17786 @findex gnus-category-exit
17787 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17790 @kindex e (Category)
17791 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17792 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17793 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17796 @kindex k (Category)
17797 @findex gnus-category-kill
17798 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17801 @kindex c (Category)
17802 @findex gnus-category-copy
17803 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17806 @kindex a (Category)
17807 @findex gnus-category-add
17808 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17811 @kindex p (Category)
17812 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17813 Edit the predicate of the current category
17814 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17817 @kindex g (Category)
17818 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17819 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17820 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17823 @kindex s (Category)
17824 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17825 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17826 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17829 @kindex l (Category)
17830 @findex gnus-category-list
17831 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17835 @node Category Variables
17836 @subsubsection Category Variables
17839 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17840 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17841 Hook run in category buffers.
17843 @item gnus-category-line-format
17844 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17845 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17846 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17850 The name of the category.
17853 The number of groups in the category.
17856 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17857 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17858 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17860 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17861 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17862 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17864 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17865 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17866 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17868 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17869 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17870 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17873 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17874 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17875 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17878 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17879 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17880 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17881 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17882 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17883 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17884 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17885 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17889 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17890 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17891 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17892 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17893 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17894 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17895 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17900 @node Agent Commands
17901 @subsection Agent Commands
17902 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17903 @kindex J j (Agent)
17905 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17906 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17907 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17911 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17912 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17913 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17919 @node Group Agent Commands
17920 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17924 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17925 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17926 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17927 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17930 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17931 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17932 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17935 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17936 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17937 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17938 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17941 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17942 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17943 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17944 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17947 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17948 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17949 Add the current group to an Agent category
17950 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17951 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17954 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17955 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17956 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17957 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17958 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17961 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17962 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17963 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17969 @node Summary Agent Commands
17970 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17974 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17975 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17976 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17979 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17980 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17981 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17982 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17986 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17987 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17988 Toggle whether to download the article
17989 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
17993 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17994 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17995 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17998 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17999 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18000 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18001 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18004 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18005 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18006 Download all processable articles in this group.
18007 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18010 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18011 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18012 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18013 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18018 @node Server Agent Commands
18019 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18023 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18024 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18025 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18026 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18029 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18030 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18031 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18032 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18037 @node Agent Visuals
18038 @subsection Agent Visuals
18040 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18041 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18042 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18043 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18044 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18045 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18046 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18047 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18048 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18049 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18051 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18052 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18053 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18054 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18055 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18056 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18057 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18058 articles will be available when unplugged.
18060 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18061 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18062 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18063 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18064 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18065 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18066 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18067 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18069 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18070 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18071 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18072 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18073 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18074 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18075 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18076 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18077 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18079 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18080 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18081 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18082 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18083 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear.
18085 For occasional Agent users, the undownloaded faces may appear to be an
18086 absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since most of their
18087 articles have not been fetched into the Agent, most of the normal
18088 faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces. If this is your
18089 situation, you have two choices available. First, you can completely
18090 disable the undownload faces by customizing
18091 @code{gnus-summary-highlight} to delete the three cons-cells that
18092 refer to the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face} faces. Second, if
18093 you prefer to take a more fine-grained approach, you may set the
18094 @code{agent-disable-undownloaded-faces} group parameter to t. This
18095 parameter, like all other agent parameters, may be set on an Agent
18096 Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic
18097 Parameters}), or an individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18099 @node Agent as Cache
18100 @subsection Agent as Cache
18102 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18103 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18104 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18105 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18106 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18107 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18108 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18109 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18110 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18112 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18113 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18114 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18115 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18116 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18119 @subsection Agent Expiry
18121 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18122 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18123 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18124 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18125 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18126 @cindex agent expiry
18127 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18130 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18131 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18132 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18133 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18134 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18135 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18136 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18137 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18139 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18140 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18141 synchronized with the group.
18143 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18144 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18146 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18147 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18148 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18149 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18150 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18151 be kept indefinitely.
18153 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18154 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18155 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18156 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18158 @node Agent Regeneration
18159 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18161 @cindex agent regeneration
18162 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18163 @cindex regeneration
18165 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18166 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18167 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18168 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18169 internal inconsistencies.
18171 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18172 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18173 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18174 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18175 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18176 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18178 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18179 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18180 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18181 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18182 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18183 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18185 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18186 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18187 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18188 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18189 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18190 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18193 @node Agent and IMAP
18194 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18196 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18197 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18198 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18199 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18201 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18202 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18203 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18204 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18206 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18207 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18208 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18209 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18211 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18212 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18213 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18214 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18215 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18216 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18218 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18219 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18220 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18221 in the group buffer.
18223 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18224 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18229 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18232 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18236 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18237 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18238 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18239 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18240 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18241 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18242 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18243 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18246 @node Outgoing Messages
18247 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18249 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18250 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18251 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18253 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18254 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18255 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18256 messages in the draft group.
18260 @node Agent Variables
18261 @subsection Agent Variables
18264 @item gnus-agent-directory
18265 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18266 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18267 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18269 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18270 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18271 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18272 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18273 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18276 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18277 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18278 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18280 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18281 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18282 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18284 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18285 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18286 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18288 @item gnus-agent-cache
18289 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18290 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18291 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18292 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18294 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18295 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18296 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18297 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18298 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18299 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18300 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18303 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18304 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18305 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18306 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18307 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18308 read. The default is t.
18310 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18311 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18312 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18313 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18314 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18316 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18317 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18318 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18319 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18320 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18321 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18322 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18323 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18324 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18325 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18326 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18327 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18330 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18331 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18332 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18333 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18334 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18335 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18336 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18337 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18338 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18340 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18341 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18342 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18343 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18344 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18345 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18347 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18348 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18349 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18350 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18351 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18356 @node Example Setup
18357 @subsection Example Setup
18359 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18360 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18361 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18364 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18365 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18366 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18368 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18369 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18370 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18372 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18373 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18375 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18376 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18377 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18380 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18381 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18384 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18385 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18386 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18387 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18388 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18391 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18392 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18393 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18394 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18395 back all the killed groups.)
18397 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18398 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18399 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18402 @node Batching Agents
18403 @subsection Batching Agents
18404 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18406 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18407 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18408 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18410 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18411 following incantation:
18415 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18419 @node Agent Caveats
18420 @subsection Agent Caveats
18422 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18423 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18427 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18429 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18430 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18431 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18433 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18434 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18436 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18440 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18441 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18442 locally stored articles.
18449 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18450 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18451 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18454 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18455 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18456 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18457 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18458 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18460 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18461 before generating the summary buffer.
18463 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18464 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18465 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18467 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18468 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18469 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18470 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18473 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18474 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18475 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18476 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18477 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18478 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18479 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18480 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18481 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18482 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18483 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18484 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18485 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18486 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18487 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18488 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18489 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18493 @node Summary Score Commands
18494 @section Summary Score Commands
18495 @cindex score commands
18497 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18498 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18499 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18500 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18501 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18503 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18504 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18505 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18506 score file the current one.
18508 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18513 @kindex V s (Summary)
18514 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18515 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18518 @kindex V S (Summary)
18519 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18520 Display the score of the current article
18521 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18524 @kindex V t (Summary)
18525 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18526 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18527 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18528 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18529 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18530 bring you to this string in the score file.
18533 @kindex V w (Summary)
18534 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18535 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18538 @kindex V R (Summary)
18539 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18540 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18541 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18542 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18543 effect you're having.
18546 @kindex V c (Summary)
18547 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18548 Make a different score file the current
18549 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18552 @kindex V e (Summary)
18553 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18554 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18555 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18559 @kindex V f (Summary)
18560 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18561 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18562 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18565 @kindex V F (Summary)
18566 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18567 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18568 after editing score files.
18571 @kindex V C (Summary)
18572 @findex gnus-score-customize
18573 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18574 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18578 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18583 @kindex V m (Summary)
18584 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18585 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18586 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18589 @kindex V x (Summary)
18590 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18591 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18592 expunge all articles below this score
18593 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18596 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18597 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18600 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18601 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18605 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18606 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18608 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18609 keys are available:
18613 Score on the author name.
18616 Score on the subject line.
18619 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18622 Score on the @code{References} line.
18628 Score on the number of lines.
18631 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18634 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18635 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18638 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18639 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18640 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18649 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18655 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18656 what headers you are scoring on.
18668 Substring matching.
18671 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18700 Greater than number.
18705 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18706 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18707 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18712 Temporary score entry.
18715 Permanent score entry.
18718 Immediately scoring.
18722 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18723 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18724 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18728 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18729 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18730 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18731 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18733 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18734 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18735 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18736 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18737 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18739 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18740 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18741 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18742 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18743 current score file.
18745 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18746 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18747 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18750 @node Group Score Commands
18751 @section Group Score Commands
18752 @cindex group score commands
18754 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18759 @kindex W f (Group)
18760 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18761 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18762 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18763 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18767 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18769 @findex gnus-batch-score
18770 @cindex batch scoring
18772 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18776 @node Score Variables
18777 @section Score Variables
18778 @cindex score variables
18782 @item gnus-use-scoring
18783 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18784 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18785 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18787 @item gnus-kill-killed
18788 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18789 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18790 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18791 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18792 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18793 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18794 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18796 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18797 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18798 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18799 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18800 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18802 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18803 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18804 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18805 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18807 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18808 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18809 @cindex score cache
18810 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18811 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18812 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18813 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18814 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18815 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18816 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18819 @item gnus-save-score
18820 @vindex gnus-save-score
18821 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18822 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18823 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18825 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18826 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18827 across group visits.
18829 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18830 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18831 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18832 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18833 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18834 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18835 manually entered data.
18837 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18838 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18839 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18841 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18842 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18843 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18844 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18845 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18846 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18848 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18849 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18850 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18851 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18853 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18854 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18855 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18856 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18858 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18859 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18860 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18861 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18863 Predefined functions available are:
18866 @item gnus-score-find-single
18867 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18868 Only apply the group's own score file.
18870 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18871 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18872 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18873 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18874 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18875 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18876 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18877 then a regexp match is done.
18879 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18880 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18882 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18883 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18884 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18885 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18887 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18888 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18889 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18890 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18891 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18895 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18896 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18897 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18898 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18899 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18900 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18901 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18904 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18905 overall score file, you could use the value
18907 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18908 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18911 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18912 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18913 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18914 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18915 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18917 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18918 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18919 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18920 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18921 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18922 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18923 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18924 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18926 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18927 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18928 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18930 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18931 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18932 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
18933 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18934 threading---according to the current value of
18935 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
18936 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18937 simplified in this manner.
18942 @node Score File Format
18943 @section Score File Format
18944 @cindex score file format
18946 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18947 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18948 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18950 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18954 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18956 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18958 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18960 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18965 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18969 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18970 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18971 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18972 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18976 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
18977 Scoring}, for a different approach.
18979 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
18980 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18981 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18983 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18988 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18989 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18990 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18991 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18992 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18993 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18994 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18995 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18996 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18997 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18998 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18999 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19000 to articles that matches these score entries.
19002 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19003 score entry has one to four elements.
19007 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19008 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19012 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19013 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19014 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19015 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19016 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19017 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19020 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19021 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19022 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19023 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19024 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19027 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19028 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19029 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19030 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19033 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19034 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19035 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19036 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19037 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19038 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19039 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19040 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19041 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19042 instead, if you feel like.
19045 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19046 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19047 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19048 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19049 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
19050 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
19053 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19057 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19058 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19060 These predicates are true if
19063 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19066 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19067 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19074 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19075 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19076 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19077 it's not. I think.)
19079 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19080 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19081 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19082 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19085 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19086 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19087 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19088 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19089 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19090 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19091 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19095 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19096 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19097 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19098 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19099 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19100 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19101 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19102 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19105 @item Head, Body, All
19106 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19110 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19111 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19112 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19113 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19114 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19115 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19116 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19120 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19121 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19122 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19123 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19124 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19125 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19126 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19127 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19128 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19129 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19130 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19134 @cindex score file atoms
19136 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19137 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19140 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19141 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19143 @item mark-and-expunge
19144 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19145 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19148 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19149 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19150 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19151 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19152 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19155 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19156 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19159 @item exclude-files
19160 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19161 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19165 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19166 ignored when handling global score files.
19169 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19170 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19171 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19172 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19175 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19176 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19177 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19178 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19180 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19184 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19187 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19188 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19189 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19190 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19191 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19193 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19194 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19195 scoring rules exist.
19198 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19199 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19200 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19201 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19202 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19203 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19204 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19205 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19206 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19207 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19208 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19212 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19213 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19214 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19215 file for a number of groups.
19218 @cindex local variables
19219 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19220 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19221 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19222 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19223 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19228 @node Score File Editing
19229 @section Score File Editing
19231 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19232 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19233 with a mode for that.
19235 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19236 additional commands:
19241 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19242 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19243 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19244 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19247 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19248 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19249 Insert the current date in numerical format
19250 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19251 you were wondering.
19254 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19255 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19256 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19257 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19258 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19263 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19265 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19266 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19268 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19269 e} to begin editing score files.
19272 @node Adaptive Scoring
19273 @section Adaptive Scoring
19274 @cindex adaptive scoring
19276 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19277 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19278 stupidity, to be precise.
19280 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19281 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19282 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19283 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19284 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19285 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19286 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19287 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19288 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19290 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19291 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19292 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19293 might look something like this:
19296 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19297 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19298 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19299 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19300 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19301 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19302 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19303 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19304 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19305 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19306 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19307 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19310 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19311 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19312 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19313 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19314 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19315 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19318 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19319 will be applied to each article.
19321 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19322 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19323 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19324 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19326 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19327 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19328 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19329 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19331 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19332 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19333 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19334 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19336 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19337 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19338 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19339 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19340 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19341 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19343 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19344 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19345 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19347 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19348 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19349 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19351 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19352 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19353 let you use different rules in different groups.
19355 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19356 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19357 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19360 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19361 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19362 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19363 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19364 the length of the match is less than
19365 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19366 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19369 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19370 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19371 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19372 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19373 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19376 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19377 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19378 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19379 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19380 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19383 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19384 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19385 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19386 score with 30 points.
19388 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19389 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19390 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19391 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19392 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19394 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19395 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19396 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19397 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19398 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19400 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19401 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19402 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19403 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19405 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19406 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19407 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19408 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19410 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19411 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19412 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19413 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19414 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19416 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19417 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19418 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19420 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19421 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19422 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19423 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19426 @node Home Score File
19427 @section Home Score File
19429 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19430 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19431 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19432 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19434 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19435 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19436 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19438 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19439 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19444 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19448 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19449 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19453 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19457 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19458 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19461 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19462 be used as the home score file.
19465 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19468 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19473 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19476 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19477 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19480 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19481 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19483 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19485 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19486 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19489 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19490 Other functions include
19493 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19494 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19495 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19496 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19500 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19501 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19502 their own home score files:
19505 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19506 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19507 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19508 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19509 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19512 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19513 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19514 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19515 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19516 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19518 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19519 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19520 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19521 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19522 precedence over this variable.
19525 @node Followups To Yourself
19526 @section Followups To Yourself
19528 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19529 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19530 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19531 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19532 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19533 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19537 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19538 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19539 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19542 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19543 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19544 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19548 @vindex message-sent-hook
19549 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19550 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19552 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19556 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19557 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19561 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19562 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19565 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19566 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19571 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19575 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19576 is system-dependent.
19579 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19580 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19581 @cindex scoring on other headers
19583 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19584 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19585 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19586 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19587 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19589 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19590 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19591 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19592 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19593 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19595 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19598 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19599 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19602 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19603 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19604 time if you have much mail.
19606 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19607 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19613 @section Scoring Tips
19614 @cindex scoring tips
19620 @cindex scoring crossposts
19621 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19622 the @code{Xref} header.
19624 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19627 @item Multiple crossposts
19628 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19629 more than, say, 3 groups:
19632 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19636 @item Matching on the body
19637 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19638 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19639 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19640 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19641 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19642 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19643 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19646 @item Marking as read
19647 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19648 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19649 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19653 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19655 @item Negated character classes
19656 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19657 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19658 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19662 @node Reverse Scoring
19663 @section Reverse Scoring
19664 @cindex reverse scoring
19666 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19667 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19668 like this in your score file:
19672 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19677 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19678 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19681 @node Global Score Files
19682 @section Global Score Files
19683 @cindex global score files
19685 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19686 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19687 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19689 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19690 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19691 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19693 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19694 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19695 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19696 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19697 files are applicable to which group.
19699 To use the score file
19700 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19701 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19705 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19706 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19707 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19710 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19712 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19713 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19714 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19715 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19717 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19718 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19720 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19721 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19722 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19723 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19724 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19725 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19727 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19733 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19735 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19737 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19739 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19740 lowered out of existence.
19742 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19743 articles completely.
19746 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19747 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19748 old articles for a long time.
19751 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19752 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19753 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19754 holding our breath yet?
19758 @section Kill Files
19761 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19762 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19763 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19765 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19766 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19767 files into score files.
19769 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19770 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19771 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19772 that isn't a very good idea.
19774 Normal kill files look like this:
19777 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19778 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19782 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19783 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19785 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19786 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19789 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19794 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19795 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19796 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19799 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19800 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19801 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19804 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19809 @kindex M-k (Group)
19810 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19811 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19814 @kindex M-K (Group)
19815 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19816 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19819 Kill file variables:
19822 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19823 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19824 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19825 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19826 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19827 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19828 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19830 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19831 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19832 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19833 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19836 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19837 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19838 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19839 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19840 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19841 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19842 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19843 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19844 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19846 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19847 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19848 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19853 @node Converting Kill Files
19854 @section Converting Kill Files
19856 @cindex converting kill files
19858 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19859 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19860 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19863 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19864 You can fetch it from
19865 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19867 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19868 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19869 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19877 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19878 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19880 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
19881 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19882 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19883 news articles generated every day.
19885 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19886 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19887 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19888 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19889 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19890 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19891 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19892 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19896 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19897 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19898 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19899 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19903 @node Using GroupLens
19904 @subsection Using GroupLens
19906 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
19907 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
19908 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
19910 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19914 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19915 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19916 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19917 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19919 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19920 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19921 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19922 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19924 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19925 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19926 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19930 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19931 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19932 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19933 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19934 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19935 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19938 @node Rating Articles
19939 @subsection Rating Articles
19941 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19942 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19943 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19944 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19947 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19952 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19953 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19954 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19957 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19958 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19959 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19960 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19961 threads in rec.humor.
19965 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19966 the score of the article you're reading.
19971 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19972 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19973 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19976 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19977 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19978 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19982 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19983 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19986 @node Displaying Predictions
19987 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19989 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19990 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19991 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19992 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19993 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19995 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19996 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19997 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19998 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19999 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
20000 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
20001 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
20002 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
20003 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
20004 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
20005 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
20006 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
20007 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
20009 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
20010 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
20011 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
20012 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
20014 The following are valid values for that variable.
20017 @item prediction-spot
20018 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
20021 @item confidence-interval
20022 A numeric confidence interval.
20024 @item prediction-bar
20025 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
20027 @item confidence-bar
20028 Numerical confidence.
20030 @item confidence-spot
20031 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
20033 @item prediction-num
20034 Plain-old numeric value.
20036 @item confidence-plus-minus
20037 Prediction +/- confidence.
20042 @node GroupLens Variables
20043 @subsection GroupLens Variables
20047 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
20048 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
20049 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
20050 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
20053 @item grouplens-bbb-host
20054 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
20057 @item grouplens-bbb-port
20058 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
20060 @item grouplens-score-offset
20061 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
20062 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
20065 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
20066 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
20067 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
20072 @node Advanced Scoring
20073 @section Advanced Scoring
20075 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20076 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20077 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20078 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20079 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20081 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20085 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20086 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20087 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20091 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20092 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20094 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20095 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20096 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20097 non-@code{nil} value.
20099 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20100 operator, and various match operators.
20107 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20108 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20109 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20114 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20115 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20116 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20121 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20122 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20126 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20127 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20128 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20129 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20130 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20131 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20132 the ancestry you want to go.
20134 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20135 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20136 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20137 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20138 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20141 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20142 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20144 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20145 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20148 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20149 when he's talking about Gnus:
20154 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20155 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20162 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20166 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20173 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20174 really don't want to read what he's written:
20178 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20179 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20183 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20184 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20185 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20192 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20193 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20194 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20195 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20199 The possibilities are endless.
20202 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20203 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20205 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20206 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20207 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20208 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20209 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20210 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20211 @samp{subject}) first.
20213 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20214 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20225 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20226 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20232 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20239 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20240 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20245 @section Score Decays
20246 @cindex score decays
20249 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20250 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20251 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20252 use them in any sensible way.
20254 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20255 @findex gnus-decay-score
20256 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20257 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20258 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20259 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20260 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20261 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20262 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20263 definition of that function:
20266 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20268 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20269 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20272 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20274 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20276 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20279 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20280 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20281 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20282 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20286 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20289 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20292 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20296 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20297 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20298 the new score, which should be an integer.
20300 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20301 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20306 @include message.texi
20307 @chapter Emacs MIME
20308 @include emacs-mime.texi
20310 @include sieve.texi
20312 @c @include pgg.texi
20320 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20321 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20322 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20323 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20324 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20325 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20326 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20327 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20328 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20329 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20330 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20331 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20332 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20333 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20334 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20335 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20336 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20337 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20338 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20342 @node Process/Prefix
20343 @section Process/Prefix
20344 @cindex process/prefix convention
20346 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20347 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20349 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20350 command to be performed on.
20354 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20355 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20356 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20357 with the current one.
20359 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20360 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20361 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20363 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20364 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20367 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20368 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20370 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20373 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20374 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20375 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20376 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20378 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20379 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20380 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20381 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20382 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20383 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20384 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20385 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20387 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20388 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20389 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20390 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20391 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20395 @section Interactive
20396 @cindex interaction
20400 @item gnus-novice-user
20401 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20402 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20403 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20404 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20405 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20408 @item gnus-expert-user
20409 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20410 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20411 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20412 matter how strange.
20414 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20415 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20416 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20417 is @code{t} by default.
20419 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20420 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20421 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20426 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20427 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20428 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20430 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20431 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20432 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20433 rule of 900 to the current article.
20435 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20436 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20437 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20438 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20439 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20440 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20441 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20443 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20444 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20445 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20446 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20447 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20448 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20449 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20450 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20451 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20453 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20454 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20455 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20457 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20461 @node Formatting Variables
20462 @section Formatting Variables
20463 @cindex formatting variables
20465 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20466 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20467 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20468 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20469 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20472 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20473 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20474 lots of percentages everywhere.
20477 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20478 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20479 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20480 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20481 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20482 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20483 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20484 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20487 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20488 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20489 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20490 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20491 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20492 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20493 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20494 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20496 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20497 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20499 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20500 @findex gnus-update-format
20501 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20502 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20503 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20504 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20508 @node Formatting Basics
20509 @subsection Formatting Basics
20511 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20512 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20513 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20515 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20516 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20517 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20518 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20519 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20522 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20523 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20524 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20525 less than 4 characters wide.
20527 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20528 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20531 @node Mode Line Formatting
20532 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20534 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20535 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20536 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20537 with the following two differences:
20542 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20545 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20546 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20547 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20548 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20549 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20550 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20551 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20556 @node Advanced Formatting
20557 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20559 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20560 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20561 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20562 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20564 These are the valid modifiers:
20569 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20573 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20578 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20581 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20586 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20589 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20592 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20595 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20601 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20606 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20607 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20608 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20609 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20610 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20611 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20612 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20614 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20615 last operation, padding.
20617 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20618 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
20619 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
20620 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
20621 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
20622 the look of your lines.
20623 @xref{Compilation}.
20626 @node User-Defined Specs
20627 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20629 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20630 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20631 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20632 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20633 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20634 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20635 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20636 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20637 should protect against that.
20639 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20640 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20642 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20643 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20644 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20645 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20649 @node Formatting Fonts
20650 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20652 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20653 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20654 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20655 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20658 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20659 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20660 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20661 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20662 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20663 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20665 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20666 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20667 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20668 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20669 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20670 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20671 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20672 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20673 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20674 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20675 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20678 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20681 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20682 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20683 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20685 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20686 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20687 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20688 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20689 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20690 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20691 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20693 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20694 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20695 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20698 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20699 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20701 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20702 mode-line variables.
20704 @node Positioning Point
20705 @subsection Positioning Point
20707 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20708 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20709 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20711 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20713 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20714 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20715 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20717 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20718 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20719 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20724 @subsection Tabulation
20726 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20727 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20728 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20729 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20731 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20732 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20734 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20735 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20736 This is the soft tabulator.
20738 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20739 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20740 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20743 @node Wide Characters
20744 @subsection Wide Characters
20746 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20747 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20748 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20750 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20751 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20752 these countries, that's not true.
20754 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20755 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20756 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20757 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20761 @node Window Layout
20762 @section Window Layout
20763 @cindex window layout
20765 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20767 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20768 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20769 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20770 @code{t} by default.
20772 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20773 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20775 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20776 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20777 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20780 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20781 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20782 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20786 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20787 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20788 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20789 possible names is listed below.
20791 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20792 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20795 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20799 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20800 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20801 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20802 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20803 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20804 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20805 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20806 size spec per split.
20808 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20809 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20810 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20811 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20812 present) gets focus.
20814 Here's a more complicated example:
20817 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20818 (summary 0.25 point)
20819 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20823 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20824 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20825 occupy, not a percentage.
20827 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20828 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20829 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20830 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20831 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20834 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20837 (article (horizontal 1.0
20842 (summary 0.25 point)
20847 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20848 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20850 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20851 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20852 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20853 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20854 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20856 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20857 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20858 lines from the splits.
20860 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20865 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20866 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20867 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20868 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20869 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20870 size = number | frame-params
20871 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20875 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20876 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20877 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20878 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20880 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20881 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20882 @cindex window height
20883 @cindex window width
20884 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20885 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20886 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20887 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20888 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20889 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20891 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20892 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20893 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20894 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20896 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20897 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20898 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20899 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20900 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20901 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20902 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20903 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20904 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20905 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20906 configuration list.
20909 (gnus-configure-frame
20913 (article 0.3 point))
20921 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20922 @code{frame} split:
20925 (gnus-configure-frame
20928 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20930 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20931 (user-position . t)
20932 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20937 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20938 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20939 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20940 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20941 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20942 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20943 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20944 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20946 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20947 be found in its default value.
20949 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20950 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20951 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20955 (message (horizontal 1.0
20956 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20958 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20963 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20964 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20965 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20970 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20971 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20972 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20973 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20974 (name . "Message"))
20975 (message 1.0 point))))
20978 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20979 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20980 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20981 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20982 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20985 (gnus-add-configuration
20986 '(article (vertical 1.0
20988 (summary .25 point)
20992 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20993 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20994 Gnus has been loaded.
20996 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20997 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20998 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20999 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21000 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21002 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21003 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21004 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21007 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21011 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21012 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21027 (gnus-add-configuration
21030 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21032 (summary 0.16 point)
21035 (gnus-add-configuration
21038 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21039 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21045 @node Faces and Fonts
21046 @section Faces and Fonts
21051 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21052 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21053 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21058 @section Compilation
21059 @cindex compilation
21060 @cindex byte-compilation
21062 @findex gnus-compile
21064 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21065 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21066 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
21067 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
21068 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
21069 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21070 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21071 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21074 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21075 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21076 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21077 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
21078 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21081 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
21082 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
21083 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
21084 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
21085 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
21090 @section Mode Lines
21093 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21094 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21095 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21096 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21097 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21098 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21099 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21102 @cindex display-time
21104 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21105 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21106 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21107 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21108 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21109 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21110 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21111 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21114 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21116 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21117 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21119 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21120 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21121 (length display-time-string)))))
21124 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21125 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21126 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21127 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21128 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21131 @node Highlighting and Menus
21132 @section Highlighting and Menus
21134 @cindex highlighting
21137 @vindex gnus-visual
21138 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21139 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21140 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21143 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21144 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21147 @item group-highlight
21148 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21149 @item summary-highlight
21150 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21151 @item article-highlight
21152 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21154 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21156 Create menus in the group buffer.
21158 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21160 Create menus in the article buffer.
21162 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21164 Create menus in the server buffer.
21166 Create menus in the score buffers.
21168 Create menus in all buffers.
21171 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21172 buffers, you could say something like:
21175 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21178 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21181 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21184 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21185 in all Gnus buffers.
21187 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21190 @item gnus-mouse-face
21191 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21192 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21193 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21197 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21201 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21202 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21203 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21205 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21206 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21207 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21209 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21210 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21211 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21213 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21214 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21215 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21217 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21218 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21219 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21221 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21222 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21223 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21234 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21235 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21236 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21237 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21238 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21242 @vindex gnus-carpal
21243 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21244 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21245 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21250 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21251 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21252 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21254 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21255 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21256 Face used on buttons.
21258 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21259 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21260 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21262 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21263 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21264 Buttons in the group buffer.
21266 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21267 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21268 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21270 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21271 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21272 Buttons in the server buffer.
21274 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21275 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21276 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21279 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21280 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21281 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21289 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21290 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21291 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21292 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21293 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21295 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21296 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21297 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21299 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21300 been idle for thirty minutes:
21303 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21306 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21310 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21313 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21314 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21315 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21317 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21318 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21319 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21320 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21322 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21323 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21324 @var{idle} minutes.
21326 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21327 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21330 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21331 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21332 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21334 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21335 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21336 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21337 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21339 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21340 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21342 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21344 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21347 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21348 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21349 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21350 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21351 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21352 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21353 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21354 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21355 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21356 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21357 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21359 @findex gnus-demon-init
21360 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21361 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21362 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21363 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21364 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21366 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21367 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21368 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21377 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21378 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21380 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21381 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21382 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21383 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21386 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21387 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21388 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21389 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21391 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21392 this will make spam disappear.
21394 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21397 @item gnus-use-nocem
21398 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21399 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21402 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21403 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21404 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21407 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21408 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21411 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21412 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21413 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21414 people you want to listen to. The default is
21416 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21417 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21419 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21421 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21422 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21424 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21425 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21426 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21427 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21428 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21429 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21430 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21431 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21432 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21433 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21435 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21436 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21439 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21442 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21443 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21446 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21449 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21452 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21453 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21455 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21456 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21457 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21458 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21460 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21461 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21464 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21466 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21474 This might be dangerous, though.
21476 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21477 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21478 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21479 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21481 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21482 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21483 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21484 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21485 might then see old spam.
21487 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21488 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21489 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21490 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21491 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21494 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21495 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21496 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21497 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21501 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21502 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21503 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21504 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21511 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21512 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21513 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21515 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21516 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21517 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21518 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21519 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21520 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21521 @code{undo} function.
21523 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21524 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21525 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21526 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21527 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21528 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21529 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21530 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21531 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21532 never be totally undoable.
21534 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21535 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21537 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21538 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21539 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21540 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21544 @node Predicate Specifiers
21545 @section Predicate Specifiers
21546 @cindex predicate specifiers
21548 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21549 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21550 to type all that much.
21552 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21557 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21558 gnus-article-unread-p)
21561 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21562 functions all take one parameter.
21564 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21565 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21566 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21567 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21572 @section Moderation
21575 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21576 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21577 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21580 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21584 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21587 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21589 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21594 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21595 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21596 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21599 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21600 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21603 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21604 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21608 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21611 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21612 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21616 @node Image Enhancements
21617 @section Image Enhancements
21619 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21620 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21621 taken advantage of that.
21624 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21625 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21626 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21627 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21628 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21636 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21637 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21638 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21642 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21643 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21644 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21652 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21653 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21654 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21655 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21657 The variable that controls this is the
21658 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21659 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21660 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21661 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21662 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21664 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21665 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21666 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21667 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21670 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21671 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21672 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21673 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21674 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21675 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21676 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21677 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21679 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21682 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21683 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21685 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21686 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21687 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21688 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21689 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21690 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21691 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21692 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21693 header data as a string.
21695 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21696 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21697 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21698 randomly generated data.
21700 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21701 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21702 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21703 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21704 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21706 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21707 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21710 (setq message-required-news-headers
21711 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21712 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21715 Using the last function would be something like this:
21718 (setq message-required-news-headers
21719 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21720 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21721 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21722 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21730 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21732 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21733 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21734 represent the author of the message.
21737 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21738 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21739 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21742 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21743 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21745 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21746 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21747 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21749 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21750 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21751 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21752 converts the file to Face format by using the
21753 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21755 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21756 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21759 (setq message-required-news-headers
21760 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21761 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21762 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21767 @subsection Smileys
21772 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21777 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21778 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21780 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21781 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21784 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21787 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21788 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21789 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21790 text and maps that to file names.
21792 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21793 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21794 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21795 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21796 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21799 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21804 @item smiley-data-directory
21805 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21806 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21808 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21809 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21810 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21824 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21825 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
21826 over your shoulder as you read news.
21828 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21837 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21838 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21839 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21840 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21841 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21842 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21843 @code{GIF} formats.
21846 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21847 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21848 point your Web browser at
21849 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21851 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21852 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21854 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21855 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21858 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21862 @item gnus-picon-databases
21863 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21864 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21865 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21866 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21867 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21869 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21870 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21871 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21872 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21874 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21875 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21876 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21877 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21879 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21880 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21881 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21882 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21883 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21885 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21886 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21887 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21888 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
21894 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21897 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21898 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21899 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21900 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21901 unusual directory structure.
21903 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21904 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21905 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21906 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21908 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21909 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21910 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21911 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21912 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21913 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21915 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21916 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21917 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21922 @subsubsection Toolbar
21926 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21927 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21928 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21929 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21930 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21932 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21933 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21934 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21936 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21937 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21938 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21940 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21941 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21942 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21953 @node Fuzzy Matching
21954 @section Fuzzy Matching
21955 @cindex fuzzy matching
21957 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21958 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21960 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21961 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21962 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21964 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21965 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21966 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21967 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21968 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21971 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21972 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21976 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21978 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21979 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21980 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21981 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21982 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21983 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21984 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21985 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21988 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21989 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21990 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21991 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21992 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21993 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21995 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21998 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21999 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22000 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22001 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22002 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22003 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22006 @node The problem of spam
22007 @subsection The problem of spam
22009 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22010 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22012 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22014 First, some background on spam.
22016 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22017 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
22018 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
22019 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
22020 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
22021 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
22022 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
22023 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22025 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22026 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22027 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22028 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22029 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22030 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22031 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22032 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22033 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22036 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
22037 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
22038 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
22039 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
22040 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
22041 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
22042 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
22043 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
22044 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
22045 mail can be useful.
22047 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22048 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22049 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22050 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22051 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into
22052 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the
22053 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
22054 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
22055 message is spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22057 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22058 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22059 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22060 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22061 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22062 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
22063 because of the incident.
22065 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22066 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22067 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22068 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22069 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22070 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22071 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22072 to store the database of spam analyses.
22074 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22075 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22079 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22081 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22082 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22084 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22085 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22086 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22087 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22088 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22089 part of the mail address.)
22092 (setq message-default-news-headers
22093 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22096 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22097 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22102 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22103 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22104 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22110 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22111 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22112 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22113 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22115 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22116 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22117 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22118 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22119 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22120 your fancy split rule in this way:
22125 (to "larsi" "misc")
22129 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22130 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22131 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22132 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22133 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22135 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22136 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22137 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22138 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22143 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22144 @cindex SpamAssassin
22145 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22148 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
22149 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22150 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22151 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22152 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22153 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22154 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22156 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22157 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22158 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22159 Specifiers}) follow.
22163 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22166 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22169 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22170 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22171 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22174 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22178 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22181 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22182 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22186 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22187 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22188 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22189 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22192 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22194 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22196 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
22197 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
22199 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
22201 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22202 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22206 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22207 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22208 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22211 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22212 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22214 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22215 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22216 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22220 @subsection Hashcash
22223 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22224 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22225 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22226 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22227 in smaller communities.
22229 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22230 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22231 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22232 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22233 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22234 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
22235 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22236 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22237 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22238 one of them separately.
22241 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22242 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22243 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22244 header. For more details, and for the external application
22245 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22246 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22247 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22249 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22253 (require 'hashcash)
22254 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22257 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22258 contrib directory or at
22259 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22261 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22265 @item hashcash-default-payment
22266 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22267 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22268 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22269 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22271 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22272 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22273 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22274 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22275 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22276 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22277 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22278 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22279 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22283 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22287 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22288 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22289 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22290 a useful contribution, however.
22292 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22293 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22294 @cindex spam filtering
22297 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22298 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22299 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22300 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22303 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22305 First of all, you @strong{must} set the variable
22306 @code{spam-install-hooks} to @code{t} and install the @code{spam.el} hooks:
22309 (setq spam-install-hooks t)
22310 (spam-install-hooks-function)
22313 This is automatically done for you if you load @code{spam.el}
22314 @emph{after} one of the @code{spam-use-*} variables explained later
22315 are set. So you should load @code{spam.el} after you set one of the
22316 @code{spam-use-*} variables:
22319 (setq spam-use-bogofilter t)
22323 You get the following keyboard commands:
22333 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22334 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22336 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22337 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22338 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22339 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22345 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22346 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22348 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22354 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22355 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22358 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22359 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22360 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22361 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22362 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22363 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22364 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22365 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22366 will be detected later.
22368 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22369 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22370 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22371 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22372 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22373 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22374 by customizing the corresponding variable
22375 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22376 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22377 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22378 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22379 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22380 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22381 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22384 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22386 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22387 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22388 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22389 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22390 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22391 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22392 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to nil. You should
22393 remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary buffer for
22394 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
22395 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
22396 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
22397 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
22398 will study them as spam samples.
22400 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22401 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22402 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22403 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22404 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22405 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22406 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22407 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22410 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22411 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22412 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22416 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22417 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22421 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22422 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22423 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22424 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22425 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22426 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22429 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22430 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22431 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22432 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22433 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22434 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22435 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22436 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22437 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22438 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22439 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22440 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22441 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22442 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22444 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22445 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22447 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22448 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22449 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22450 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22451 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22452 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22453 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22454 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22455 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22456 the spam articles are only expired.
22458 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22459 must add the following to your fancy split list
22460 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22466 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22467 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22468 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22470 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22471 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22472 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22473 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}.
22475 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22476 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers}. Why is this useful?
22478 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22479 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22482 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22483 (any "ding" "ding")
22489 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22490 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22491 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22492 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22493 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22494 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22496 You can let SpamAssassin headers supercede ding rules, but all other
22497 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22498 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22501 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22502 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22503 (any "ding" "ding")
22509 Basically, this lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks
22510 depending on your particular needs. You don't have to throw all mail
22511 into all the spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that
22512 messages to mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have
22513 resource-intensive blackhole checks performed on them. You could also
22514 specify different spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap
22517 You still have to have specific checks such as
22518 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you specifically
22519 invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is that when
22520 loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on
22521 what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
22523 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22525 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22526 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22527 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22528 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22529 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22530 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22531 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22532 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22534 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22536 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22537 into a back end. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22538 longer spam or ham.}
22540 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22541 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22544 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22545 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22548 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22549 * BBDB Whitelists::
22550 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22551 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22553 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22555 * ifile spam filtering::
22556 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22558 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22561 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22562 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22563 @cindex spam filtering
22564 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22565 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22568 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22570 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22571 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22572 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22573 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22578 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22580 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22581 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22582 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22583 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22584 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22588 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22590 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22591 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22592 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22596 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22598 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22599 customizing the group parameters or the
22600 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22601 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22602 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22606 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22608 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22609 customizing the group parameters or the
22610 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22611 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22612 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22613 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22614 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22618 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22619 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22620 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22621 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22622 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22624 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22625 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22626 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22627 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22629 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22630 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22631 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22632 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22633 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22634 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22636 @node BBDB Whitelists
22637 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22638 @cindex spam filtering
22639 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22640 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22643 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22645 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22646 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22647 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22648 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22649 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22650 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22651 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22655 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22657 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22658 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22659 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22660 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22661 classified as spammers.
22665 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22667 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22668 customizing the group parameters or the
22669 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22670 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22671 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22672 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22673 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22677 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
22678 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
22679 @cindex spam reporting
22680 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22681 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22684 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
22686 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22687 customizing the group parameters or the
22688 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22689 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22690 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
22693 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
22697 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
22699 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
22700 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
22701 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
22702 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
22703 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
22708 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22709 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22710 @cindex spam filtering
22711 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
22714 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
22716 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22717 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
22718 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
22719 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
22720 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
22721 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
22722 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
22728 @subsubsection Blackholes
22729 @cindex spam filtering
22730 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22733 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22735 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22736 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22737 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22738 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22739 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22740 contains outdated servers.
22742 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22743 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22744 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
22745 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
22746 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
22747 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22751 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22753 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22757 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22759 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22760 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
22764 @defvar spam-use-dig
22766 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22767 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22771 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22772 ham processor for blackholes.
22774 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22775 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22776 @cindex spam filtering
22777 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22780 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22782 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22783 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22784 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22785 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22786 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22787 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22791 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22793 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22794 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22798 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22800 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22801 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22805 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22806 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22809 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22810 @cindex spam filtering
22811 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22814 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22816 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22819 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22820 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22821 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22822 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22823 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22824 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22826 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
22827 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
22830 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22831 processing will be turned off.
22833 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22837 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22839 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22840 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22841 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22842 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22843 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22844 installation documents for details.
22846 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22850 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22851 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22852 customizing the group parameters or the
22853 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22854 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22855 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22858 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22859 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22860 customizing the group parameters or the
22861 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22862 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22863 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22864 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22865 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22868 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22870 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22871 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22872 database directory.
22876 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
22877 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22878 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22879 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22880 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22881 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22883 @node ifile spam filtering
22884 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22885 @cindex spam filtering
22886 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22889 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22891 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
22892 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22896 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22898 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22899 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22900 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22904 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22906 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22907 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22908 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22911 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22913 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22914 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22918 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22919 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22920 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22921 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22924 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22925 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22926 @cindex spam filtering
22927 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22931 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22933 @defvar spam-use-stat
22935 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22936 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22940 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22941 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22942 customizing the group parameters or the
22943 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22944 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22945 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22948 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22949 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22950 customizing the group parameters or the
22951 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22952 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22953 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22954 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22955 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22958 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
22959 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
22960 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
22961 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
22962 @code{spam-split} are provided.
22965 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
22966 @cindex spam filtering
22970 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
22971 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
22972 installed separately.
22974 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
22975 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
22976 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
22977 mail as a spam mail or not.
22979 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
22980 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
22981 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
22983 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
22984 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
22986 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
22987 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
22988 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
22989 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
22990 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
22991 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
22992 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
22993 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
22997 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
22998 spam-split-group "Junk"
22999 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23000 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23001 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23004 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23005 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23009 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23010 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23011 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23015 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23016 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23017 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23018 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23019 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23020 database to live somewhere special, set
23021 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23024 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23025 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23026 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23027 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23028 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23029 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23030 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23031 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23032 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23033 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23035 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23036 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23037 customizing the group parameter or the
23038 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23039 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23040 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23043 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23044 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23045 customizing the group parameter or the
23046 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23047 to a grup's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23048 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23049 messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam} or
23050 @emph{unclassified} groups.
23053 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of an group that has been
23054 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23057 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23059 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle)))
23061 For this group the @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle} is
23062 installed. If the group contains spam message (e.g. because SpamOracle
23063 has not had enough sample messages yet) and the user marks some
23064 messages as spam messages, these messages will be processed by
23065 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}. This processor sends
23066 the messages to SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23068 @node Extending the spam elisp package
23069 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
23070 @cindex spam filtering
23071 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23072 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23074 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23075 incoming mail, provide the following:
23083 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23084 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23089 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23091 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23096 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23097 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
23098 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
23100 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23101 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23102 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23106 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23113 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23114 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23117 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23118 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23119 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23121 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23122 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23123 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23131 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
23132 (spam-generic-register-routine
23133 ;; @r{the spam function}
23135 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23136 (when (stringp from)
23137 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
23138 ;; @r{the ham function}
23141 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
23142 (spam-generic-register-routine
23143 ;; @r{the spam function}
23145 ;; @r{the ham function}
23147 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23148 (when (stringp from)
23149 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
23152 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
23153 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
23154 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
23155 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
23156 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
23157 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
23162 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23163 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23164 @cindex Paul Graham
23165 @cindex Graham, Paul
23166 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23167 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23168 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23170 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23171 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23172 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23173 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23174 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23175 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23176 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23177 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23178 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23181 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23182 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23183 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23184 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23185 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23186 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23187 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23188 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23190 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23191 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23192 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23193 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23194 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23197 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23198 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23199 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23202 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23203 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23205 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23206 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23207 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23208 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23209 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23211 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23212 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23213 per mail. Use the following:
23215 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23216 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23217 is treated as one spam mail.
23220 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23221 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23222 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23225 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23226 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23227 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23228 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23229 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23230 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23232 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23233 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23234 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23235 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23236 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23239 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23240 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23241 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23242 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23245 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23246 reset the dictionary.
23248 @defun spam-stat-reset
23249 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
23252 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
23253 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
23254 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
23255 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
23256 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
23257 only non-spam mails.
23259 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
23260 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
23261 to update the dictionary incrementally.
23264 @defun spam-stat-save
23265 Save the dictionary.
23268 @defvar spam-stat-file
23269 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
23270 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
23273 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
23274 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
23276 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
23277 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23280 (require 'spam-stat)
23284 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
23287 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
23288 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
23289 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
23290 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
23292 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
23293 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
23294 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
23295 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
23298 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23299 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23303 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23304 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23307 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23308 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23309 expression are considered potential spam.
23312 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23313 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23314 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23318 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23319 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23320 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23321 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23322 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23325 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23326 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23327 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23331 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23332 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23333 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23334 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23335 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23339 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23340 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23341 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23342 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23347 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23348 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23350 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23352 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23353 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23354 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23357 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23358 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23359 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23362 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23363 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
23364 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
23365 already been processed as non-spam.
23368 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
23369 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
23370 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
23371 been processed as spam.
23374 @defun spam-stat-save
23375 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
23376 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23379 @defun spam-stat-load
23380 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
23381 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23384 @defun spam-stat-score-word
23385 Return the spam score for a word.
23388 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
23389 Return the spam score for a buffer.
23392 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
23393 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
23394 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23397 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
23398 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23401 (require 'spam-stat)
23405 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
23408 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23409 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23410 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23411 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23412 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23413 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23414 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23415 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23416 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23417 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23418 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23419 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23420 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23421 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23424 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
23427 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23428 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23429 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23430 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
23431 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23432 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23435 @node Various Various
23436 @section Various Various
23442 @item gnus-home-directory
23443 @vindex gnus-home-directory
23444 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
23445 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
23447 @item gnus-directory
23448 @vindex gnus-directory
23449 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
23450 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
23451 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
23453 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
23454 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
23455 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
23456 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
23458 @item gnus-default-directory
23459 @vindex gnus-default-directory
23460 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
23461 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
23462 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
23463 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
23464 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
23465 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
23468 @vindex gnus-verbose
23469 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
23470 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
23471 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
23472 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
23473 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
23475 @item gnus-verbose-backends
23476 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
23477 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
23478 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
23480 @item nnheader-max-head-length
23481 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
23482 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
23483 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
23484 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
23485 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
23486 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
23487 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
23488 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
23489 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
23491 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23492 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23493 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23494 read when doing the operation described above.
23496 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23497 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23499 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23500 @cindex characters in file names
23501 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23502 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23503 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23507 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23512 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23513 Windows (phooey) systems.
23515 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23516 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23517 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23518 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23519 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23521 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23522 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23523 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23524 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23525 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23527 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23528 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23529 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23531 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23532 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23534 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23535 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23536 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23537 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23540 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23548 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23549 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23551 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23553 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23559 Not because of victories @*
23562 but for the common sunshine,@*
23564 the largess of the spring.
23568 but for the day's work done@*
23569 as well as I was able;@*
23570 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23571 but at the common table.@*
23576 @chapter Appendices
23579 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23580 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23581 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23582 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23583 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23584 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23585 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23586 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23587 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
23594 @cindex installing under XEmacs
23596 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23597 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23598 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23599 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23600 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23601 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23608 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23609 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23611 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23612 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23613 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23614 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23615 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23617 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23618 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23619 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23620 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23621 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23622 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23624 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23625 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23626 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23627 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23630 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23631 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23632 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23633 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23634 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23635 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23636 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23637 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23638 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23642 @node Gnus Versions
23643 @subsection Gnus Versions
23645 @cindex September Gnus
23647 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23648 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23651 @cindex Gnus versions
23653 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23654 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23655 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23657 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23658 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23660 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23661 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23663 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23664 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23666 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23667 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23670 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23672 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23673 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23674 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23675 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23676 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23677 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23680 @node Other Gnus Versions
23681 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23684 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23685 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23686 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
23687 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
23689 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23690 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23691 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23692 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23699 What's the point of Gnus?
23701 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23702 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23703 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23704 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23705 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23706 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23707 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23708 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23709 keep track of millions of people who post?
23711 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23712 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23713 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23714 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23715 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23716 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23717 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23718 every one of you to explore and invent.
23720 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23721 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23724 @node Compatibility
23725 @subsection Compatibility
23727 @cindex compatibility
23728 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23729 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23730 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23735 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23739 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23742 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23745 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23746 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23747 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23748 important variables have their values copied into their global
23749 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23750 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23752 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23753 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23754 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23755 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23756 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23760 @cindex highlighting
23761 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23762 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23763 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23764 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23765 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23766 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23769 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23770 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23771 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23772 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23774 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23775 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23776 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23777 to stop doing it the old way.
23779 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23781 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23783 @cindex reporting bugs
23785 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23786 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23787 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23789 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23790 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23791 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23792 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23797 @subsection Conformity
23799 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23800 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23808 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23812 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23814 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23815 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23816 We do have some breaches to this one.
23822 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23823 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23824 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23825 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23826 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23831 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23832 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23833 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23834 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23836 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23837 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
23838 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
23840 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23841 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23843 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23846 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
23847 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
23848 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
23849 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
23850 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
23853 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23854 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23855 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23856 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23858 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23859 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
23861 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23862 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
23863 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
23864 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
23865 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
23866 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
23867 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
23868 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
23872 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23873 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23878 @subsection Emacsen
23884 Gnus should work on :
23892 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
23896 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23897 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23898 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
23899 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
23900 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
23902 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23903 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23904 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23908 @node Gnus Development
23909 @subsection Gnus Development
23911 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23912 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23913 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23914 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23915 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23916 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23917 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23918 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23920 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23921 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23922 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23923 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23924 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23927 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23928 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23929 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23930 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23931 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23933 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23934 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23935 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23936 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23937 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23938 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23939 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23940 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23941 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23942 can't be assumed to do so.
23947 @subsection Contributors
23948 @cindex contributors
23950 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23951 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23952 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23953 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23954 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23955 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23956 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23957 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23958 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23959 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23961 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23967 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23970 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23971 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
23972 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23973 functionality and stuff.
23976 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23977 well as numerous other things).
23980 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23983 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23986 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
23989 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23992 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23993 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23996 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23999 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
24000 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24003 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24006 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24009 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24012 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24015 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24016 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24019 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24022 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24025 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24028 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24032 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24035 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24038 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24041 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24042 well as autoconf support.
24046 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24047 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24049 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24064 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24066 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24070 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24080 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24095 Massimo Campostrini,
24100 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24101 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24105 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24108 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24114 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24119 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24123 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24131 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24133 Michelangelo Grigni,
24137 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24139 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24141 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24148 François Felix Ingrand,
24149 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24150 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24152 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24162 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24163 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24165 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24166 Thor Kristoffersen,
24169 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24187 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24188 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24195 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24200 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24204 John McClary Prevost,
24210 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24215 Christian von Roques,
24218 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
24225 Philippe Schnoebelen,
24227 Randal L. Schwartz,
24241 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
24246 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
24266 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
24267 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
24268 (550kB and counting).
24270 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
24273 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
24274 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
24278 @subsection New Features
24279 @cindex new features
24282 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
24283 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
24284 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
24285 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
24286 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
24287 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
24290 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
24291 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
24292 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
24295 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
24297 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
24302 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24303 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24306 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24307 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24310 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24313 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24314 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24315 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24318 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24319 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24320 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24321 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24324 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24325 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24328 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24329 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24330 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24333 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
24334 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
24337 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
24338 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
24339 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24342 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
24343 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
24344 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
24347 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
24348 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
24351 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
24352 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
24355 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
24356 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
24359 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
24360 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24363 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
24364 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
24367 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
24368 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24371 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
24374 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
24375 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
24378 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
24379 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
24382 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
24383 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
24386 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
24389 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
24390 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24393 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
24397 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
24401 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
24402 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
24405 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
24411 @node September Gnus
24412 @subsubsection September Gnus
24416 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
24420 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
24425 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
24426 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
24430 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
24431 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
24435 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
24439 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
24440 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
24443 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
24447 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24450 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
24453 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
24456 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
24460 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
24461 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
24464 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
24468 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
24472 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
24476 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
24480 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
24483 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
24484 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
24487 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
24491 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
24492 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
24495 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
24498 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24499 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24500 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24503 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24507 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24510 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24514 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24515 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24518 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24519 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24522 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24523 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24526 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24527 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24528 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24531 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24532 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24535 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24538 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24541 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24544 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24547 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24548 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24551 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24555 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24558 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24563 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24566 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24570 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24573 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24577 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24580 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24583 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24584 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24587 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24588 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24592 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24593 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24596 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24600 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24601 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24604 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24607 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24611 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24615 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24616 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24619 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24623 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24624 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24627 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24628 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24631 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24635 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24638 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24641 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24647 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24649 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24653 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24660 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24663 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24664 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24667 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24668 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24672 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24673 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24676 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24679 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24680 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24683 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24687 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24688 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24692 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24693 Server Internals}).
24696 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24700 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24703 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24704 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24707 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24708 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24709 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24712 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24713 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24716 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24717 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24720 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24724 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24725 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24728 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24729 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24732 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24736 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24739 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24743 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24744 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24747 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24748 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24751 A new command for reading collections of documents
24752 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24753 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24756 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24760 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
24761 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24764 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24765 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24766 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24769 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24770 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24774 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24778 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24782 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24787 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24791 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24795 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24796 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24799 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24805 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24807 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24812 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24813 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
24814 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
24817 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24818 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24819 group, which is created automatically.
24822 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24826 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24829 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24830 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24833 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24837 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24840 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24841 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24844 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24847 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
24851 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24852 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24855 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24856 control over simplification.
24859 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24862 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24866 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24869 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24872 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24873 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24874 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24877 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24878 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24881 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24885 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24886 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24889 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24890 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
24893 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24897 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24900 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24903 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24904 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24907 A new function for citing in Message has been
24908 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24911 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24914 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24918 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24919 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24922 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24923 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24926 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24929 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24933 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24934 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24936 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24941 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24942 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24944 If you used procmail like in
24947 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24948 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24949 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24950 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24953 this now has changed to
24957 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24961 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
24964 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24965 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24968 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24969 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24972 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24973 called to position point.
24976 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24977 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
24980 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24981 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24984 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24985 subtly different manner.
24988 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24989 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24990 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24993 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24998 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25001 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25006 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25007 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25010 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25012 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25013 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25014 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25015 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25016 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25017 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25018 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25019 isn't save in general.
25024 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25025 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25026 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25027 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25032 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} installs key bindings in dired buffers to send
25033 a file as an attachment (@kbd{C-c C-a}), open a file using the appropriate
25034 mailcap entry (@kbd{C-c C-l}), and print a file using the mailcap entry
25035 (@kbd{C-c P}). It is enabled with
25037 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25041 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25044 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25049 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25050 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25052 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25053 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25057 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25058 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25061 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25063 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25064 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25069 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25070 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25071 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25074 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25075 decompressed when activated.
25078 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25079 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25082 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25085 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25086 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25089 Warn about email replies to news
25091 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25092 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25096 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25097 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25101 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25102 opposed to old but unread messages).
25105 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25106 Gcc articles as read.
25109 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25112 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25113 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25116 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25117 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25120 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25121 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25124 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25125 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25128 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25130 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25131 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25132 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25133 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25136 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25138 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25139 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25140 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25141 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25142 the second parameter.
25144 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25145 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25146 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25147 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25148 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25149 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25150 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25151 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25152 cycle used under Unix systems.
25154 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25158 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25160 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25161 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25162 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25163 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25164 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25168 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25170 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25171 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25172 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25173 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25177 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25179 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25180 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25181 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25182 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25184 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25185 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25186 message cited below.
25189 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25192 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25194 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25195 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25196 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25197 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25198 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25201 (setq gnus-parameters
25203 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25204 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25205 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25206 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25210 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25212 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
25216 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
25218 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
25219 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
25220 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
25221 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
25222 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
25223 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
25224 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
25225 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
25226 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
25229 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
25231 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
25232 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
25233 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
25234 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
25235 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
25236 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
25239 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
25240 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
25244 Improved anti-spam features.
25246 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
25247 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
25248 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
25249 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
25250 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
25253 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
25256 Face headers handling.
25259 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
25260 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
25263 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
25266 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
25268 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
25269 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
25270 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
25271 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
25272 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
25273 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
25274 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
25275 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
25276 when getting new mail, remove the function.
25279 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
25281 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
25282 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
25283 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
25284 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
25285 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
25286 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
25287 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
25288 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
25289 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
25290 was inserted directly.
25293 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
25295 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
25296 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
25302 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
25303 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
25304 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
25305 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25306 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25307 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25308 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25309 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25310 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25311 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25312 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25313 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25314 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25315 is not needed any more.
25318 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25320 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25321 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25322 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25323 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25324 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25328 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
25330 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
25331 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
25334 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
25336 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
25337 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
25338 lisp directory into load-path.
25340 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
25341 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
25344 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
25346 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
25349 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
25351 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
25352 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
25353 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
25354 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
25357 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
25359 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
25361 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
25362 'bbdb-complete-name)
25366 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
25368 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
25369 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
25370 local files as external parts.
25372 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
25373 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
25374 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
25375 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
25376 that support editing.
25379 @code{gnus-default-charset}
25381 The default value is determined from the
25382 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
25383 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
25384 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
25387 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
25389 Add a new format of match like
25391 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
25392 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25394 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
25396 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
25397 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25401 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
25403 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
25404 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
25405 need add those two headers too.
25408 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
25410 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
25411 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
25412 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
25415 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
25416 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
25417 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
25421 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
25423 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
25426 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
25428 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
25431 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
25433 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
25434 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
25435 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
25438 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
25440 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
25444 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
25446 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
25447 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for cancelling and
25448 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
25449 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
25450 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
25451 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
25452 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
25453 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
25456 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
25458 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
25459 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
25460 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
25461 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
25462 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
25465 Extended format specs.
25467 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
25468 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
25469 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
25470 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
25471 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
25472 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
25475 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
25477 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
25478 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
25479 out other articles.
25481 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
25483 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
25484 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
25485 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
25486 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
25489 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
25491 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
25492 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
25493 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
25496 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
25498 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
25499 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
25500 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
25501 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
25502 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
25503 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
25504 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
25505 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
25506 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
25507 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
25508 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
25511 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
25512 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
25515 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
25516 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
25517 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
25518 message, Message Manual}).
25521 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
25522 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
25524 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
25525 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
25526 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
25528 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
25532 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
25533 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
25535 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
25536 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
25537 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
25538 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
25541 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
25544 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
25547 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
25548 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
25555 @section The Manual
25559 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
25560 either @code{texi2dvi}
25562 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
25563 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
25565 to get what you hold in your hands now.
25567 The following conventions have been used:
25572 This is a @samp{string}
25575 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
25578 This is a @file{file}
25581 This is a @code{symbol}
25585 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
25589 (setq flargnoze "yes")
25592 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
25595 (setq flumphel 'yes)
25598 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
25599 ever get them confused.
25603 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
25604 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
25605 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
25606 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
25607 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
25608 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
25609 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
25615 @node On Writing Manuals
25616 @section On Writing Manuals
25618 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
25619 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
25620 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
25621 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
25622 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
25623 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
25626 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
25627 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
25628 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
25631 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
25632 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
25637 @section Terminology
25639 @cindex terminology
25644 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
25645 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
25646 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
25647 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
25648 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
25652 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
25653 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
25654 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
25655 not posting, and replying is not following up.
25659 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
25663 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
25668 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
25669 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
25670 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
25671 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
25672 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
25673 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
25674 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
25675 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
25676 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
25679 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
25680 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
25681 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
25682 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
25683 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
25684 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
25686 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
25687 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
25688 access the articles.
25690 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
25691 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
25692 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
25697 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
25698 default, way of getting news.
25702 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
25703 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
25708 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
25709 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
25713 A message that has been posted as news.
25716 @cindex mail message
25717 A message that has been mailed.
25721 A mail message or news article
25725 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
25730 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
25735 A line from the head of an article.
25739 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
25740 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
25742 @item @acronym{NOV}
25743 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
25744 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
25745 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
25746 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
25747 normal @sc{head} format.
25751 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
25752 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
25753 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
25754 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
25755 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
25756 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
25758 @item killed groups
25759 @cindex killed groups
25760 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
25761 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
25763 @item zombie groups
25764 @cindex zombie groups
25765 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
25768 @cindex active file
25769 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
25770 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
25771 is rather large, as you might surmise.
25774 @cindex bogus groups
25775 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
25776 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
25777 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
25780 @cindex activating groups
25781 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
25782 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
25783 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
25787 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
25789 @item select method
25790 @cindex select method
25791 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
25794 @item virtual server
25795 @cindex virtual server
25796 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
25797 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
25798 whole is a virtual server.
25802 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
25803 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
25806 @item ephemeral groups
25807 @cindex ephemeral groups
25808 @cindex temporary groups
25809 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
25810 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
25811 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
25814 @cindex solid groups
25815 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
25816 group buffer are solid groups.
25818 @item sparse articles
25819 @cindex sparse articles
25820 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
25821 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
25825 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
25826 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
25830 @cindex thread root
25831 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
25832 articles in the thread.
25836 An article that has responses.
25840 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
25844 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
25845 specified by RFC 1153.
25848 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
25849 @cindex mail sorting
25850 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
25851 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
25852 incorrectly called mail filtering.
25858 @node Customization
25859 @section Customization
25860 @cindex general customization
25862 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
25863 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
25864 for some quite common situations.
25867 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
25868 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
25869 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
25870 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
25874 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
25875 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
25877 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
25878 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
25879 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
25883 @item gnus-read-active-file
25884 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
25885 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
25886 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25887 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
25888 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
25890 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
25891 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
25892 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
25893 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
25897 @node Slow Terminal Connection
25898 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
25900 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
25901 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
25902 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
25906 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
25907 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
25908 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
25909 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
25910 horizontal and vertical recentering.
25912 @item gnus-visible-headers
25913 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
25914 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
25915 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
25916 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
25918 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
25920 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
25921 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
25922 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
25925 @item gnus-use-full-window
25926 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
25927 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
25928 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
25929 want to read them anyway.
25931 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
25932 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
25936 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
25937 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
25938 lines, which might save some time.
25942 @node Little Disk Space
25943 @subsection Little Disk Space
25946 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
25947 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
25951 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
25952 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
25953 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25954 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25957 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
25958 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
25959 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25960 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25963 @item gnus-save-killed-list
25964 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
25965 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
25966 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
25967 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
25973 @subsection Slow Machine
25974 @cindex slow machine
25976 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
25977 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
25979 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25980 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
25982 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
25983 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
25984 summary buffer faster.
25988 @node Troubleshooting
25989 @section Troubleshooting
25990 @cindex troubleshooting
25992 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26000 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26003 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26004 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26008 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26009 like @samp{T-gnus 6.16.* (based on Gnus v5.10.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
26010 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
26011 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
26012 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26015 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26016 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26019 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26020 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26021 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26022 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26023 something like that.
26026 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26029 @cindex reporting bugs
26031 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26033 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26034 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26035 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26036 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26038 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26039 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26040 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26041 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26044 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26045 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26046 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26047 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26048 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26049 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26051 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26052 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26053 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26057 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26058 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26061 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26062 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26063 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26064 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26065 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26066 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26067 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26068 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26069 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26070 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26071 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26072 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26073 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26074 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26079 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26080 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26081 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26082 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26083 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26085 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26086 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26087 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26088 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26089 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26090 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26091 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26092 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26093 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26094 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26095 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26096 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26097 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26100 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26101 @cindex ding mailing list
26102 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26103 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26104 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26105 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26109 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26110 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26112 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26113 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26114 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26115 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26118 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26119 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26120 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26121 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26122 and general methods of operation.
26125 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26126 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26127 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26128 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26129 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26130 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26131 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26132 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26133 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26137 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26138 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26139 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26140 @cindex utility functions
26142 @cindex internal variables
26144 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26145 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26146 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26150 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26151 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26152 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26154 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26155 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26156 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26158 @item gnus-group-real-name
26159 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26160 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26163 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26164 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26165 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26166 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26168 @item gnus-get-info
26169 @findex gnus-get-info
26170 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26172 @item gnus-group-unread
26173 @findex gnus-group-unread
26174 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26178 @findex gnus-active
26179 The active entry for @var{group}.
26181 @item gnus-set-active
26182 @findex gnus-set-active
26183 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26185 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26186 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26187 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26190 @item gnus-continuum-version
26191 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26192 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26193 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
26196 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
26197 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
26198 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
26200 @item gnus-news-group-p
26201 @findex gnus-news-group-p
26202 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
26204 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26205 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26206 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
26208 @item gnus-server-to-method
26209 @findex gnus-server-to-method
26210 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
26212 @item gnus-server-equal
26213 @findex gnus-server-equal
26214 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
26216 @item gnus-group-native-p
26217 @findex gnus-group-native-p
26218 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
26220 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
26221 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
26222 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
26224 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
26225 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
26226 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
26228 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
26229 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
26230 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
26231 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
26233 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
26234 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
26235 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
26237 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
26238 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
26239 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
26241 @item gnus-check-backend-function
26242 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
26243 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
26244 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
26247 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
26251 @item gnus-read-method
26252 @findex gnus-read-method
26253 Prompts the user for a select method.
26258 @node Back End Interface
26259 @subsection Back End Interface
26261 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
26262 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
26263 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
26264 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
26265 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
26266 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
26268 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
26269 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
26270 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
26271 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
26272 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
26273 been opened, the function should fail.
26275 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
26276 name. Take this example:
26280 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
26281 (nntp-port-number 4324))
26284 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
26285 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
26287 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
26288 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
26289 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
26291 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
26292 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
26293 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
26295 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
26296 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
26297 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
26298 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
26299 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
26300 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
26303 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
26304 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
26305 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
26306 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
26309 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
26310 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
26311 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
26312 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
26313 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26314 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26315 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26316 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26317 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26318 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26320 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
26321 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
26322 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
26323 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
26324 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
26325 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
26326 of numbers as long as possible.
26328 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
26329 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
26330 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
26332 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
26335 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
26338 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
26339 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
26340 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
26341 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
26342 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
26343 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
26347 @node Required Back End Functions
26348 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
26352 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
26354 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
26355 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
26356 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
26357 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
26359 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
26360 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
26361 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
26362 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
26364 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
26365 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
26366 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
26367 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
26368 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
26369 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
26370 number, do maximum fetches.
26372 Here's an example HEAD:
26375 221 1056 Article retrieved.
26376 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
26377 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
26378 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
26379 Subject: Re: Something very droll
26380 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
26381 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
26383 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
26384 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
26385 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
26389 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
26390 these in the data buffer.
26392 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
26396 head = error / valid-head
26397 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
26398 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
26399 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
26400 header = <text> eol
26404 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
26406 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
26407 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
26411 nov-buffer = *nov-line
26412 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
26413 field = <text except TAB>
26416 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
26420 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
26422 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
26423 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
26425 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
26426 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
26427 server. In fact, it should do so.
26429 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
26430 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
26433 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
26435 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
26436 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
26439 There should be no data returned.
26442 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
26444 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
26445 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
26446 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
26447 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
26449 There should be no data returned.
26452 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
26454 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
26455 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
26456 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
26457 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
26459 There should be no data returned.
26462 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
26464 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
26466 There should be no data returned.
26469 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
26471 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
26472 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
26473 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
26474 it would be nice if that were possible.
26476 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
26477 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
26478 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
26479 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
26480 into its article buffer.
26482 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
26483 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
26484 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
26485 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
26486 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
26487 on successful article retrieval.
26490 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
26492 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
26493 making @var{group} the current group.
26495 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
26498 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
26501 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
26504 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
26505 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
26506 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
26507 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
26508 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
26509 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
26510 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
26511 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
26512 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
26516 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
26517 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
26518 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
26522 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26524 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
26525 a no-op on most back ends.
26527 There should be no data returned.
26530 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
26532 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
26535 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
26538 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
26539 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
26542 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
26543 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
26544 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
26545 and the highest as 0.
26548 active-file = *active-line
26549 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
26551 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
26554 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
26555 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
26556 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
26559 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
26561 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
26562 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
26563 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
26564 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
26565 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
26566 clear if the posting could not be completed.
26568 There should be no result data from this function.
26573 @node Optional Back End Functions
26574 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
26578 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
26580 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
26581 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
26582 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
26584 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
26585 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
26586 former is in the same format as the data from
26587 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
26588 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
26591 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
26595 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
26597 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
26598 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
26599 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
26600 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
26601 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
26603 There should be no result data from this function.
26606 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
26608 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
26609 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
26610 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
26611 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
26612 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
26613 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
26614 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
26615 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
26617 There should be no result data from this function.
26620 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
26622 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
26623 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
26624 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
26625 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
26626 propagate the mark information to the server.
26628 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
26631 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
26634 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
26635 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
26636 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
26637 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
26638 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
26639 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
26640 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
26641 possible, not limit itself to these.
26643 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
26644 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
26645 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
26646 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
26648 An example action list:
26651 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
26652 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
26653 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
26656 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
26657 mark on (currently not used for anything).
26659 There should be no result data from this function.
26661 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
26663 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
26664 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
26665 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
26666 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
26667 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
26669 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
26670 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
26671 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
26674 There should be no result data from this function.
26677 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
26679 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
26680 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
26681 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
26682 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
26683 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
26684 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
26685 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
26686 local if that's practical.
26688 There should be no result data from this function.
26691 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
26693 The result data from this function should be a description of
26697 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
26699 description = <text>
26702 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
26704 The result data from this function should be the description of all
26705 groups available on the server.
26708 description-buffer = *description-line
26712 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
26714 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
26715 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
26716 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
26717 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
26718 in the active buffer format.
26720 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
26721 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
26722 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
26723 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
26724 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
26725 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
26726 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
26729 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26731 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
26733 There should be no return data.
26736 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
26738 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
26739 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
26740 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
26741 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
26742 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
26745 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
26748 There should be no result data returned.
26751 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
26753 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
26754 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
26756 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
26757 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
26758 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
26759 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
26760 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
26761 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
26763 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
26764 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
26767 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26768 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26770 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
26771 article for that group.
26773 There should be no data returned.
26776 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
26778 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
26779 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
26780 this function in short order.
26782 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26783 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26785 There should be no data returned.
26788 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
26790 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
26791 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
26793 There should be no data returned.
26796 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
26798 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
26799 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
26800 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
26802 There should be no data returned.
26805 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
26807 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
26808 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
26810 There should be no data returned.
26815 @node Error Messaging
26816 @subsubsection Error Messaging
26818 @findex nnheader-report
26819 @findex nnheader-get-report
26820 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
26821 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
26822 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
26823 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
26824 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
26825 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
26828 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
26830 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
26833 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
26834 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
26835 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
26836 takes one argument---the server symbol.
26838 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
26839 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
26840 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
26843 @node Writing New Back Ends
26844 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
26846 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
26847 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
26848 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
26849 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
26850 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
26853 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
26854 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
26855 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
26857 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
26858 package called @code{nnoo}.
26860 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
26861 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
26867 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
26868 parameters. For instance:
26871 (nnoo-declare nndir
26875 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
26876 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
26879 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
26880 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
26881 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
26883 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
26884 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
26885 a function in those back ends.
26888 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26889 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26890 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26893 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
26894 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
26895 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
26897 @item nnoo-define-basics
26898 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
26902 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26906 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
26907 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
26908 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
26910 @item nnoo-map-functions
26911 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
26912 functions from the parent back ends.
26915 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26916 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26917 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
26920 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
26921 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
26922 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
26923 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
26926 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
26927 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
26928 haven't already been defined.
26934 nnmh-request-newgroups)
26938 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
26939 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
26940 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
26945 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
26948 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
26949 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
26953 (require 'nnheader)
26957 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
26959 (nnoo-declare nndir
26962 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26963 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26964 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26966 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
26967 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
26970 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
26972 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
26973 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
26974 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
26976 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
26977 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
26979 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
26981 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26983 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
26984 (setq nndir-directory
26985 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
26987 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
26988 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
26989 (push `(nndir-current-group
26990 ,(file-name-nondirectory
26991 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26993 (push `(nndir-top-directory
26994 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26996 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
26998 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26999 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27000 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27001 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27002 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27006 nnmh-status-message
27008 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27014 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27015 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27017 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27018 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27019 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27020 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27021 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27023 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27024 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27029 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27032 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27034 The abilities can be:
27038 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27040 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27042 This back end supports both mail and news.
27044 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27047 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27048 articles and groups.
27050 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27051 true for almost all back ends.
27052 @item prompt-address
27053 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27054 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27055 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27059 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27060 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27062 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27063 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27064 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27065 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27068 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27069 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27070 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27073 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27074 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27077 This function takes four parameters.
27081 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27084 @item exit-function
27085 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27087 @item temp-directory
27088 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27091 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27092 performed for one group only.
27095 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27096 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27097 find the article number assigned to this article.
27099 The function also uses the following variables:
27100 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27101 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27102 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27103 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27107 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27108 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27112 @node Score File Syntax
27113 @subsection Score File Syntax
27115 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27116 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27117 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27119 Here's a typical score file:
27123 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27130 BNF definition of a score file:
27133 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27134 element = rule / atom
27135 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27136 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27137 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27138 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27140 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27141 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27142 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27143 date-header = "date"
27144 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27145 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27146 score = "nil" / <integer>
27147 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27148 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27149 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27150 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27151 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27152 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27153 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27154 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27155 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27156 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27157 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27158 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27159 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27160 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27161 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27162 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27163 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27164 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27165 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27166 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27167 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27168 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27169 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27170 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27171 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27172 eval = "eval" space <form>
27173 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27176 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27179 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27180 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27181 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27182 one looong line, then that's ok.
27184 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27185 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27189 @subsection Headers
27191 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27192 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27193 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
27194 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
27196 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
27197 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
27198 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
27199 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
27200 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
27201 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
27202 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
27204 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
27205 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
27206 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
27207 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
27208 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
27210 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
27211 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
27217 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
27218 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
27220 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
27221 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
27222 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
27223 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
27225 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
27229 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
27232 is transformed into
27235 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
27238 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
27239 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
27242 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
27245 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
27246 is slightly tricky:
27249 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
27255 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
27258 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
27264 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
27271 and is equal to the previous range.
27273 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
27274 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
27275 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
27279 range = simple-range / normal-range
27280 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
27281 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
27282 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
27283 number *[ " " contents ]
27286 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
27287 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
27288 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
27289 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
27290 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
27295 @subsection Group Info
27297 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
27298 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
27299 describes the group.
27301 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
27302 second is a more complex one:
27305 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
27307 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
27308 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
27310 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
27313 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27314 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27315 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27316 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27317 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27318 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27319 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27320 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27321 this section is about.
27323 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
27324 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
27325 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
27327 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
27330 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
27331 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
27332 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27333 group = quote <string> quote
27334 ralevel = rank / level
27335 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27336 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
27337 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27339 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
27340 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
27341 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
27342 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
27345 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
27346 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
27349 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
27350 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
27353 @item gnus-info-group
27354 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
27355 @findex gnus-info-group
27356 @findex gnus-info-set-group
27357 Get/set the group name.
27359 @item gnus-info-rank
27360 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
27361 @findex gnus-info-rank
27362 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
27363 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
27365 @item gnus-info-level
27366 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
27367 @findex gnus-info-level
27368 @findex gnus-info-set-level
27369 Get/set the group level.
27371 @item gnus-info-score
27372 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
27373 @findex gnus-info-score
27374 @findex gnus-info-set-score
27375 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
27377 @item gnus-info-read
27378 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
27379 @findex gnus-info-read
27380 @findex gnus-info-set-read
27381 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
27383 @item gnus-info-marks
27384 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
27385 @findex gnus-info-marks
27386 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
27387 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
27389 @item gnus-info-method
27390 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
27391 @findex gnus-info-method
27392 @findex gnus-info-set-method
27393 Get/set the group select method.
27395 @item gnus-info-params
27396 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
27397 @findex gnus-info-params
27398 @findex gnus-info-set-params
27399 Get/set the group parameters.
27402 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
27403 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
27405 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
27406 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
27407 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
27408 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
27411 @node Extended Interactive
27412 @subsection Extended Interactive
27413 @cindex interactive
27414 @findex gnus-interactive
27416 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
27417 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
27418 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
27421 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
27422 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
27427 The best thing to do would have been to implement
27428 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
27429 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
27430 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
27431 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
27432 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
27433 @code{interactive}.
27435 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
27440 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
27441 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
27445 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
27446 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
27447 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
27450 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
27454 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
27458 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
27464 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
27465 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
27469 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
27470 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
27471 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
27473 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
27474 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
27475 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
27476 Gnus, that's very useful.
27478 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
27479 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
27480 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
27481 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
27482 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
27483 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
27484 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
27485 following function:
27488 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
27492 (,function ,@@args))
27496 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
27497 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
27498 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
27501 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
27502 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
27503 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
27505 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
27506 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
27507 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
27510 @node Various File Formats
27511 @subsection Various File Formats
27514 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
27515 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
27519 @node Active File Format
27520 @subsubsection Active File Format
27522 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
27523 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
27526 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
27529 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
27530 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
27531 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
27532 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
27533 no.general 1000 900 y
27536 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
27539 active = *group-line
27540 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
27541 group = <non-white-space string>
27543 high-number = <non-negative integer>
27544 low-number = <positive integer>
27545 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
27548 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
27549 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
27552 @node Newsgroups File Format
27553 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
27555 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
27556 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
27557 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
27560 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
27561 Here's the definition:
27565 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
27566 group = <non-white-space string>
27568 description = <string>
27573 @node Emacs for Heathens
27574 @section Emacs for Heathens
27576 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
27577 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
27578 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
27579 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
27580 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
27581 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
27582 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
27586 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
27587 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
27592 @subsection Keystrokes
27596 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
27599 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
27602 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
27603 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
27604 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
27605 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
27606 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
27607 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
27609 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
27610 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
27611 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
27612 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
27613 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
27614 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
27615 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
27617 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
27618 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
27619 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
27620 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
27621 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
27622 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
27623 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
27625 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
27626 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
27627 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
27628 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
27629 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
27635 @subsection Emacs Lisp
27637 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
27638 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
27639 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
27640 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
27642 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
27643 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
27644 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
27645 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
27646 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
27647 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
27648 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
27651 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
27652 write the following:
27655 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
27658 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
27659 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
27660 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
27663 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
27664 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
27665 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
27666 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
27667 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
27669 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
27670 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
27671 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
27675 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
27679 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
27682 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
27683 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
27686 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
27689 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
27690 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
27693 @include gnus-faq.texi
27713 @c Local Variables:
27715 @c coding: iso-8859-1