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4 @settitle Pterodactyl Gnus Manual
9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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265 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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274 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
276 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
277 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
278 are preserved on all copies.
280 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
281 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
282 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
283 permission notice identical to this one.
285 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
286 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
295 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
297 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
299 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
300 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
301 are preserved on all copies.
304 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
305 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
306 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
307 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
310 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
311 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
312 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
313 permission notice identical to this one.
315 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
316 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
322 @title Pterodactyl Gnus Manual
324 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
327 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
328 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
330 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
331 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
332 are preserved on all copies.
334 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
335 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
336 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
337 permission notice identical to this one.
339 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
340 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
349 @top The Gnus Newsreader
353 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
354 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
355 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
358 This manual corresponds to Pterodactyl Gnus .
369 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
370 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
372 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
373 being accused of plagiarism:
375 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
376 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
377 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
378 even read news with it!
380 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
381 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
382 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
383 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
384 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
391 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
392 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
393 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
394 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
395 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
396 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
397 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
398 * Various:: General purpose settings.
399 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
400 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
401 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
402 * Key Index:: Key Index.
406 @chapter Starting Gnus
411 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
412 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
415 @findex gnus-other-frame
416 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
417 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
418 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
420 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
421 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
422 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
424 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
425 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
428 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
429 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
430 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
431 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
432 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
433 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
434 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
435 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
436 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
437 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
438 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
442 @node Finding the News
443 @section Finding the News
446 @vindex gnus-select-method
448 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
449 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
450 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
451 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
454 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
455 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
458 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
461 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
464 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
467 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
468 certainly be much faster.
470 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
472 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
473 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
474 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
475 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
476 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
477 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
479 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
480 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
481 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
482 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
484 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
485 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
486 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
487 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
488 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
489 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
490 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
491 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
492 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
495 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
497 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
498 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
499 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
500 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
501 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
502 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
504 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
506 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
507 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
508 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
509 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
510 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
511 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
514 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
515 would typically set this variable to
518 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
523 @section The First Time
524 @cindex first time usage
526 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
527 be subscribed by default.
529 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
530 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
531 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
532 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
535 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
536 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
537 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
539 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
540 help you with most common problems.
542 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
543 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
547 @node The Server is Down
548 @section The Server is Down
549 @cindex server errors
551 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
552 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
553 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
555 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
556 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
557 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
558 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
559 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
560 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
561 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
563 @findex gnus-no-server
564 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
566 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
567 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
568 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
569 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
570 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
571 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
576 @section Slave Gnusae
579 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
580 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
581 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
582 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
584 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
587 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
588 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
589 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
590 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
591 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
592 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
593 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
595 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
596 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
597 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
598 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
599 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
600 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
601 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
602 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
604 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
605 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
608 @node Fetching a Group
609 @section Fetching a Group
610 @cindex fetching a group
612 @findex gnus-fetch-group
613 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
614 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
615 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
616 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
617 It takes the group name as a parameter.
625 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
626 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
627 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
628 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
629 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
630 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
631 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
632 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
633 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
636 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
637 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
638 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
642 @node Checking New Groups
643 @subsection Checking New Groups
645 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
646 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
647 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
648 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
649 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
650 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
651 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
652 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
653 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
654 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
656 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
657 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
658 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
659 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
660 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
661 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
662 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
663 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
664 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
665 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
666 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
668 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
669 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
670 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
671 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
672 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
673 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
676 @node Subscription Methods
677 @subsection Subscription Methods
679 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
680 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
681 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
683 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
684 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
686 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
690 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
691 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
692 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
693 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
694 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
696 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
697 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
698 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
699 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
701 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
702 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
703 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
705 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
706 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
707 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
708 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
709 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
710 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
711 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
712 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
713 up. Or something like that.
715 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
716 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
717 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
718 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
719 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
721 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
722 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
725 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
726 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
727 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
728 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
729 topic parameter that looks like
735 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
738 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
743 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
744 A closely related variable is
745 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
746 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
747 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
748 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
751 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
752 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
753 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
754 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
757 @node Filtering New Groups
758 @subsection Filtering New Groups
760 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
761 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
762 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
765 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
768 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
769 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
770 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
771 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
772 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
773 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
774 subscribing these groups.
775 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
776 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
778 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
779 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
780 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
781 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
782 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
783 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
784 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
785 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
787 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
788 Yet another variable that meddles here is
789 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
790 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
791 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
792 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
793 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
794 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
795 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
796 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
798 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
799 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
802 @node Changing Servers
803 @section Changing Servers
804 @cindex changing servers
806 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
807 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
808 very flaky and you want to use another.
810 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
811 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
815 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
816 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
817 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
818 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
821 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
822 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
823 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
824 functions more than absolutely necessary.
826 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
827 @findex gnus-change-server
828 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
829 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
830 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
831 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
832 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
834 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
835 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
836 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
837 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
838 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
840 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
841 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
842 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
843 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
844 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
845 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
847 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
848 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
849 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
853 @section Startup Files
854 @cindex startup files
859 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
860 information is traditionally stored in this file.
862 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
863 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
864 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
865 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
866 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
867 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
868 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
870 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
871 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
872 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
873 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
874 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
875 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
877 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
878 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
879 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
880 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
881 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
882 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
883 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
884 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
885 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
886 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
888 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
889 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
890 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
891 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
892 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
893 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
894 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
895 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
896 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
897 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
898 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
899 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
901 @vindex gnus-startup-file
902 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
903 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
904 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
906 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
907 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
908 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
909 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
910 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
911 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
912 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
913 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
914 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
915 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
918 (defun turn-off-backup ()
919 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
921 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
922 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
925 @vindex gnus-init-file
926 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
927 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
928 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
929 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
930 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
931 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
932 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
933 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
934 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
943 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
944 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
945 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
946 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
947 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
950 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
951 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
954 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
955 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
956 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
958 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
959 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
960 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
961 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
962 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
963 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
965 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
966 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
967 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
970 @node The Active File
971 @section The Active File
973 @cindex ignored groups
975 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
976 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
977 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
979 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
980 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
981 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
982 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
983 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
984 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
985 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
988 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
989 @c if you set it to anything else.
991 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
993 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
994 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
995 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
997 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
998 you actually subscribe to.
1000 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1001 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1002 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1003 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1005 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1006 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1007 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1008 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1009 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1010 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1012 Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
1013 not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
1014 is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
1016 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1017 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1018 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1019 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1020 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1021 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1023 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1024 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1026 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1027 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1029 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1030 secondary select methods.
1033 @node Startup Variables
1034 @section Startup Variables
1038 @item gnus-load-hook
1039 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1040 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1041 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1042 times you start Gnus.
1044 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1045 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1046 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1048 @item gnus-startup-hook
1049 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1050 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1052 @item gnus-started-hook
1053 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1054 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1057 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1058 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1059 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1060 generating the group buffer.
1062 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1063 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1064 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1065 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1066 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1067 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1068 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1069 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1071 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1072 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1073 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1074 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1075 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1076 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1078 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1079 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1080 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1082 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1083 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1084 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1086 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1087 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1088 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1089 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1094 @node The Group Buffer
1095 @chapter The Group Buffer
1096 @cindex group buffer
1098 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1099 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1100 long as Gnus is active.
1104 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1105 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1106 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1107 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1108 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1109 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1110 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1111 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1117 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1118 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1119 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1120 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1121 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1122 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1123 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1124 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1125 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1126 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1127 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1128 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1129 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1130 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1131 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1132 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1133 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1137 @node Group Buffer Format
1138 @section Group Buffer Format
1141 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1142 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1143 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1147 @node Group Line Specification
1148 @subsection Group Line Specification
1149 @cindex group buffer format
1151 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1152 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1154 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1157 25: news.announce.newusers
1158 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1163 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1164 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1165 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1166 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1168 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1169 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1170 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1171 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1172 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1173 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1175 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1177 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1178 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1179 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1180 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1183 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1184 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1185 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1187 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1192 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1195 Whether the group is subscribed.
1198 Level of subscribedness.
1201 Number of unread articles.
1204 Number of dormant articles.
1207 Number of ticked articles.
1210 Number of read articles.
1213 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1214 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1217 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1220 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1229 Newsgroup description.
1232 @samp{m} if moderated.
1235 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1244 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1248 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1251 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1252 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1253 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1254 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1255 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1258 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1260 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1264 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1268 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1269 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1270 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1271 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1272 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1273 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1278 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1279 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1280 group, or a bogus native group.
1283 @node Group Modeline Specification
1284 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1285 @cindex group modeline
1287 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1288 The mode line can be changed by setting
1289 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1290 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1294 The native news server.
1296 The native select method.
1300 @node Group Highlighting
1301 @subsection Group Highlighting
1302 @cindex highlighting
1303 @cindex group highlighting
1305 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1306 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1307 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1308 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1309 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1311 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1315 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1
1316 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
1317 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2
1318 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
1319 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3
1320 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
1321 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4
1322 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
1323 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5
1324 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
1326 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1327 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1328 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1329 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1330 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1331 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1334 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1336 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1343 The number of unread articles in the group.
1347 Whether the group is a mail group.
1349 The level of the group.
1351 The score of the group.
1353 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1355 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1356 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1358 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1359 topic being inserted.
1362 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1363 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1364 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1366 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1367 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1368 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1369 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1370 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1373 @node Group Maneuvering
1374 @section Group Maneuvering
1375 @cindex group movement
1377 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1378 expected, hopefully.
1384 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1385 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1386 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1392 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1393 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1394 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1398 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1399 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1403 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1404 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1408 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1409 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1410 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1414 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1415 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1416 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1419 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1425 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1426 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1427 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1432 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1433 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1434 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1438 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1439 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1440 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1443 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1444 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1445 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1446 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1450 @node Selecting a Group
1451 @section Selecting a Group
1452 @cindex group selection
1457 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1458 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1459 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1460 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1461 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1462 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1463 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1464 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1465 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1466 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1470 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1471 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1472 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1473 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1474 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1478 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1479 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1480 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1481 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1482 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1483 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1484 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1485 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1486 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1487 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1490 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1491 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1492 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1493 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1494 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1497 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1498 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1499 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1500 doing any processing of its contents
1501 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1502 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1503 manner will have no permanent effects.
1507 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1508 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1509 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1510 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1511 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1512 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1513 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1514 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1517 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1518 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1519 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1520 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1525 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1526 full summary buffer.
1529 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1532 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1537 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
1538 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
1539 Useful functions include:
1542 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
1543 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
1544 don't select the article.
1546 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
1547 Select the first unread article.
1549 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
1550 Select the highest-scored unread article.
1554 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1555 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1556 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1560 @node Subscription Commands
1561 @section Subscription Commands
1562 @cindex subscription
1570 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1571 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1572 Toggle subscription to the current group
1573 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1579 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1580 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1581 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1582 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1588 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1589 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1590 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1596 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1597 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1600 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1601 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1602 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1603 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1604 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1610 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1611 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1615 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1616 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1619 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1620 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1621 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1622 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1623 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1624 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1625 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1626 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1627 @file{.newsrc} file.
1631 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1641 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1642 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1643 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1644 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1645 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1646 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1651 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1652 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1653 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1657 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1658 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1659 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1661 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1662 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1663 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1664 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1665 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1666 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1673 @section Group Levels
1677 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1678 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1679 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1680 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1681 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1683 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1689 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1690 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1691 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1692 prompted for a level.
1695 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1696 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1697 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1698 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1699 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1700 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1701 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1702 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1703 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1704 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1705 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1706 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1707 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1708 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1709 reasons of efficiency.
1711 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1712 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1714 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1715 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1716 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1718 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1719 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1720 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1721 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1722 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1723 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1724 relevant valid ranges.
1726 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1727 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1728 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1729 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1730 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1731 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1734 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1735 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1736 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1739 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1740 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1741 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1742 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1745 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1746 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1747 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1748 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1750 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1751 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
1752 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
1753 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
1754 to 5. The default is 6.
1758 @section Group Score
1763 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1764 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1765 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1768 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
1769 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
1770 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
1771 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
1772 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
1773 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
1774 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
1775 least significant part.))
1777 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1778 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1779 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1780 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1781 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1782 action after each summary exit, you can add
1783 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1784 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1785 slow things down somewhat.
1788 @node Marking Groups
1789 @section Marking Groups
1790 @cindex marking groups
1792 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1793 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1794 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1795 bidding on those groups.
1797 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1798 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1799 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1807 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1808 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1814 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1815 Remove the mark from the current group
1816 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1820 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1821 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1825 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1826 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1830 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1831 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1835 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1836 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1837 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1840 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1842 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1843 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1844 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1845 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1846 the command to be executed.
1849 @node Foreign Groups
1850 @section Foreign Groups
1851 @cindex foreign groups
1853 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1854 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1855 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1856 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1863 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1864 @cindex making groups
1865 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1866 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1867 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1871 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1872 @cindex renaming groups
1873 Rename the current group to something else
1874 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1875 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1881 @findex gnus-group-customize
1882 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1886 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1887 @cindex renaming groups
1888 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1889 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1893 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1894 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1895 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1899 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1900 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1901 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1905 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1907 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1908 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1913 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1914 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1918 @cindex (ding) archive
1919 @cindex archive group
1920 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1921 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1922 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1923 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1924 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1925 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1926 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1930 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1932 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1933 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1934 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1935 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1939 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1941 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1942 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1943 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1947 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1948 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1950 Make a group based on some file or other
1951 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1952 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1953 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1954 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1955 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
1956 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
1957 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
1961 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
1962 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
1963 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
1964 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
1968 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1973 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1974 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1975 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1976 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1977 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1978 @xref{Web Searches}.
1980 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
1981 to a particular group by using a match string like
1982 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
1985 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1986 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1987 This function will delete the current group
1988 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1989 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1990 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1991 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
1992 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
1996 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1997 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1998 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2002 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2003 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2004 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2007 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2010 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2011 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2012 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2013 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2014 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2015 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2019 @node Group Parameters
2020 @section Group Parameters
2021 @cindex group parameters
2023 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2024 Here's an example group parameter list:
2027 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2031 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2032 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2033 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2034 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2036 The following group parameters can be used:
2041 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2044 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2047 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2048 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2049 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2050 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2051 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2053 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2054 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2055 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2056 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2057 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2058 list address instead.
2062 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
2065 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2068 It is totally ignored
2069 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2070 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2072 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2073 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2074 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2075 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2076 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2078 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2079 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2080 sending the message.
2084 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2085 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2086 of whether it has any unread articles.
2088 @item broken-reply-to
2089 @cindex broken-reply-to
2090 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2091 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2092 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2093 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2094 broken behavior. So there!
2098 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2099 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2103 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2104 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2105 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2110 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2111 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2112 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2113 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2114 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2115 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2116 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2120 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2121 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2122 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2125 @cindex total-expire
2126 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2127 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2128 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2129 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2134 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2135 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2136 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2137 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2138 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2139 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2142 @cindex score file group parameter
2143 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2144 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2145 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2148 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2149 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2150 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2151 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2154 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2155 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2156 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2157 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2160 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2161 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2165 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2168 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2173 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2174 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2175 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2179 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2180 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2181 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2183 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2184 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2185 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2186 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2187 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2188 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2189 @code{eval}ed there.
2191 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2192 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2193 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2194 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2195 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2198 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2199 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2200 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2201 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2202 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2204 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2205 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2206 like this in the group parameters:
2211 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2216 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2217 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2221 @node Listing Groups
2222 @section Listing Groups
2223 @cindex group listing
2225 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2233 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2234 List all groups that have unread articles
2235 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2236 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2237 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2238 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2245 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2246 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2247 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2248 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2249 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2250 unsubscribed groups).
2254 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2255 List all unread groups on a specific level
2256 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2257 with no unread articles.
2261 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2262 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2263 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2264 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2269 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2270 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2275 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2276 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2280 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2281 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2285 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2286 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2287 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2288 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2289 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2290 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2291 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2292 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2296 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2297 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2298 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2302 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2303 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2304 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2308 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2309 @cindex visible group parameter
2310 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2311 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2312 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2313 get the same effect.
2315 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2316 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2317 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2318 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2319 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2322 @node Sorting Groups
2323 @section Sorting Groups
2324 @cindex sorting groups
2326 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2327 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2328 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2329 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2330 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2331 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2336 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2337 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2338 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2340 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2341 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2342 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2344 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2345 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2346 Sort by group level.
2348 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2349 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2350 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2352 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2353 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2354 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2355 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2357 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2358 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2359 Sort by number of unread articles.
2361 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2362 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2363 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2368 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2369 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2373 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2374 some sorting criteria:
2378 @kindex G S a (Group)
2379 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2380 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2381 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2384 @kindex G S u (Group)
2385 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2386 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2387 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2390 @kindex G S l (Group)
2391 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2392 Sort the group buffer by group level
2393 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2396 @kindex G S v (Group)
2397 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2398 Sort the group buffer by group score
2399 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2402 @kindex G S r (Group)
2403 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2404 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2405 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2408 @kindex G S m (Group)
2409 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2410 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2411 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2415 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2416 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2418 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2419 commands will sort in reverse order.
2421 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2425 @kindex G P a (Group)
2426 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2427 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2428 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2431 @kindex G P u (Group)
2432 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2433 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2434 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2437 @kindex G P l (Group)
2438 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2439 Sort the groups by group level
2440 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2443 @kindex G P v (Group)
2444 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2445 Sort the groups by group score
2446 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2449 @kindex G P r (Group)
2450 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2451 Sort the groups by group rank
2452 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2455 @kindex G P m (Group)
2456 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2457 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2458 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2464 @node Group Maintenance
2465 @section Group Maintenance
2466 @cindex bogus groups
2471 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2472 Find bogus groups and delete them
2473 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2477 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2478 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2479 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2480 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2481 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2485 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2486 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2487 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2488 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2491 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2492 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2493 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2494 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2499 @node Browse Foreign Server
2500 @section Browse Foreign Server
2501 @cindex foreign servers
2502 @cindex browsing servers
2507 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2508 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2509 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2510 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2513 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2514 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2515 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2516 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2518 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2523 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2524 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2529 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2532 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2533 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2534 Enter the current group and display the first article
2535 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2538 @kindex RET (Browse)
2539 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2540 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2544 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2545 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2546 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2552 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2553 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2557 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2558 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2559 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2564 @section Exiting Gnus
2565 @cindex exiting Gnus
2567 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2572 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2573 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2574 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2575 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2579 @findex gnus-group-exit
2580 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2581 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2585 @findex gnus-group-quit
2586 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2587 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2590 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2591 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2592 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2593 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2594 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2599 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2600 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2601 trying to customize meta-variables.
2606 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2607 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2608 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2614 @section Group Topics
2617 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2618 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2619 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2620 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2621 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2622 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2626 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2627 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2638 2: alt.religion.emacs
2641 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2643 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2644 13: comp.sources.unix
2647 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2649 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2650 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2651 is a toggling command.)
2653 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2654 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2655 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2656 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2659 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2660 the hook for the group mode:
2663 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2667 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2668 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2669 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2670 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2671 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2675 @node Topic Variables
2676 @subsection Topic Variables
2677 @cindex topic variables
2679 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2680 really neat, I think.
2682 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2683 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2684 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2697 Number of groups in the topic.
2699 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2701 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2704 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2705 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2706 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2709 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2710 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2712 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2713 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2714 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2717 @node Topic Commands
2718 @subsection Topic Commands
2719 @cindex topic commands
2721 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2722 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2723 definitions slightly.
2729 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2730 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2731 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2735 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2736 Move the current group to some other topic
2737 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2738 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2742 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
2743 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
2747 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2748 Copy the current group to some other topic
2749 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2750 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2754 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2755 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2756 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
2757 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
2758 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
2759 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
2760 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
2763 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2764 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2768 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2769 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2770 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2774 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2775 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2776 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2780 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2781 Toggle hiding empty topics
2782 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2786 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2787 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2788 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2791 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2792 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2793 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2794 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2798 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2800 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2801 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2802 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2803 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2806 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
2807 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
2808 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2809 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
2813 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2815 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2816 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2817 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2818 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2819 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2820 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2823 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
2824 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
2825 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
2826 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
2830 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2831 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2832 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2836 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2837 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2838 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2843 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2844 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2847 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2848 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2849 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2853 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2854 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2855 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2859 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2860 @cindex group parameters
2861 @cindex topic parameters
2863 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2864 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2870 @subsection Topic Sorting
2871 @cindex topic sorting
2873 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2879 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2880 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2881 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2882 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2885 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2886 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2887 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2888 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2891 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2892 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2893 Sort the current topic by group level
2894 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2897 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2898 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2899 Sort the current topic by group score
2900 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2903 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2904 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2905 Sort the current topic by group rank
2906 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2909 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2910 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2911 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2912 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2916 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
2919 @node Topic Topology
2920 @subsection Topic Topology
2921 @cindex topic topology
2924 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2930 2: alt.religion.emacs
2933 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2935 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2936 13: comp.sources.unix
2939 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2940 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2941 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2946 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2947 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2951 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2952 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2953 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2954 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2955 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2956 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2958 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2959 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2960 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2963 @node Topic Parameters
2964 @subsection Topic Parameters
2965 @cindex topic parameters
2967 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2968 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2969 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2971 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
2976 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
2977 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
2978 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
2983 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2984 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2985 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2986 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2992 2: alt.religion.emacs
2996 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2998 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2999 13: comp.sources.unix
3003 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3004 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3005 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3006 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3007 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3008 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3010 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3011 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3012 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3013 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3014 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3016 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3017 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3018 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3019 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3020 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3021 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3022 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3023 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3026 @node Misc Group Stuff
3027 @section Misc Group Stuff
3030 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3031 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3032 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3033 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3040 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3041 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3042 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3046 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3047 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3048 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3052 @findex gnus-group-mail
3053 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3057 Variables for the group buffer:
3061 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3062 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3063 is called after the group buffer has been
3066 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3067 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3068 is called after the group buffer is
3069 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3072 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3073 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3074 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3075 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3077 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3078 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3079 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3080 whether they are empty or not.
3085 @node Scanning New Messages
3086 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3087 @cindex new messages
3088 @cindex scanning new news
3094 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3095 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3096 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3097 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3098 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3099 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3104 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3105 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3106 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3107 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3108 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3109 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3110 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3112 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3113 @cindex activating groups
3115 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3116 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3121 @findex gnus-group-restart
3122 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3123 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3124 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3128 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3129 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3131 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3132 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3136 @node Group Information
3137 @subsection Group Information
3138 @cindex group information
3139 @cindex information on groups
3146 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3147 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3150 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3151 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3152 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3153 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3154 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3155 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3156 for fetching the file.
3158 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3159 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3163 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3165 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3166 @cindex describing groups
3167 @cindex group description
3168 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3169 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3170 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3174 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3175 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3176 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3183 @findex gnus-version
3184 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3188 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3189 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3192 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3195 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3196 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3200 @node Group Timestamp
3201 @subsection Group Timestamp
3203 @cindex group timestamps
3205 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3206 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3207 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3210 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3213 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3215 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3216 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3219 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3220 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3223 This will result in lines looking like:
3226 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3227 0: custom 19961002T012713
3230 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3231 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3235 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3236 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3241 @subsection File Commands
3242 @cindex file commands
3248 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3249 @vindex gnus-init-file
3250 @cindex reading init file
3251 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3252 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3256 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3257 @cindex saving .newsrc
3258 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3259 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3260 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3263 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3264 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3265 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3270 @node The Summary Buffer
3271 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3272 @cindex summary buffer
3274 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3275 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3277 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3278 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3280 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3283 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3284 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3285 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3286 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3287 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3288 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3289 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3290 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3291 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3292 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3293 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3294 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3295 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3296 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3297 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3298 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3299 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3300 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3301 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3302 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3303 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3304 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3305 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3306 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3307 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3308 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3309 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3310 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3314 @node Summary Buffer Format
3315 @section Summary Buffer Format
3316 @cindex summary buffer format
3320 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3321 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3322 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3328 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3329 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3330 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3331 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3334 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3335 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3336 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3337 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3338 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3339 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3340 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3341 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3342 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3343 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3344 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
3347 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3348 'mail-extract-address-components)
3351 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3352 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3353 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3354 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3357 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3358 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3360 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3361 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3362 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3363 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3364 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3366 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3368 The following format specification characters are understood:
3374 Subject string. List identifiers stripped, @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3376 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3377 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3378 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3380 Full @code{From} header.
3382 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3384 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3385 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3387 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3388 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3389 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3390 may be more thorough.
3392 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3395 Number of lines in the article.
3397 Number of characters in the article.
3399 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3401 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3402 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3404 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3405 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3407 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3408 for adopted articles.
3410 One space for each thread level.
3412 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3417 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3418 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3422 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3424 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3425 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3426 default level. If the difference between
3427 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3428 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3436 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3438 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3444 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3445 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3447 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3448 article has any children.
3454 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3455 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3456 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3457 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3458 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3459 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3462 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3463 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3464 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3465 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3466 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3467 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3469 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3470 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3472 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3475 @node To From Newsgroups
3476 @subsection To From Newsgroups
3480 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
3481 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
3482 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
3483 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
3484 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
3488 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
3489 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
3490 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
3494 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3495 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
3498 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
3499 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
3502 @findex gnus-extra-header
3503 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
3504 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
3505 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
3508 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
3512 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3513 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
3514 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
3515 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
3516 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
3517 headers are used instead.
3521 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
3522 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
3523 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
3524 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
3527 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3528 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
3529 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
3530 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
3532 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
3535 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3537 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
3538 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
3539 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
3540 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3544 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
3545 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
3552 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
3553 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
3556 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3557 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3559 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3560 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
3561 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
3562 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3564 Here are the elements you can play with:
3570 Unprefixed group name.
3572 Current article number.
3574 Current article score.
3578 Number of unread articles in this group.
3580 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
3583 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3584 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3585 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3586 and no unselected ones.
3588 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3589 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3591 Subject of the current article.
3593 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
3595 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
3597 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3599 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3601 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3603 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3607 @node Summary Highlighting
3608 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3612 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3613 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3614 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3615 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3616 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3618 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3619 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3620 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3621 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3623 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3624 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3625 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3626 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3628 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3629 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3630 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3631 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
3632 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
3633 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
3636 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3637 ((> score default) . bold))
3639 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3640 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
3644 @node Summary Maneuvering
3645 @section Summary Maneuvering
3646 @cindex summary movement
3648 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3649 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3651 None of these commands select articles.
3656 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3657 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3658 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3659 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3660 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3664 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3665 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3666 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3667 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3668 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3673 @kindex G j (Summary)
3674 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3675 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
3676 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3679 @kindex G g (Summary)
3680 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3681 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3682 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3685 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3686 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3687 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3688 to the group buffer.
3690 Variables related to summary movement:
3694 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3695 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3696 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3697 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3698 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3699 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3700 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3701 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3702 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3703 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3704 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3705 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3706 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3707 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3709 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3710 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3711 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3712 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3713 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3714 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
3715 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
3717 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3719 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3720 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3721 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3722 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3723 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3725 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3726 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3727 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3728 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3729 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3730 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3731 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3732 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3735 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
3736 the given number of lines from the top.
3741 @node Choosing Articles
3742 @section Choosing Articles
3743 @cindex selecting articles
3746 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3747 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3751 @node Choosing Commands
3752 @subsection Choosing Commands
3754 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3755 and they all select and display an article.
3759 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3760 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3761 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3762 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3767 @kindex G n (Summary)
3768 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3769 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3770 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3775 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3776 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3777 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3782 @kindex G N (Summary)
3783 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3784 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3789 @kindex G P (Summary)
3790 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3791 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3794 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3795 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3796 Go to the next article with the same subject
3797 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3800 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3801 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3802 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3803 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3807 @kindex G f (Summary)
3809 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3810 Go to the first unread article
3811 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3815 @kindex G b (Summary)
3817 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3818 Go to the article with the highest score
3819 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3824 @kindex G l (Summary)
3825 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3826 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3829 @kindex G o (Summary)
3830 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3832 @cindex article history
3833 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3834 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3835 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3836 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
3837 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
3838 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
3842 @node Choosing Variables
3843 @subsection Choosing Variables
3845 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3848 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3849 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3850 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3851 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3852 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3853 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3855 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3856 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3857 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3858 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3860 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3861 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3862 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3863 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3864 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3865 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3866 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3867 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3868 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3869 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3870 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3871 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3872 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3873 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3878 @node Paging the Article
3879 @section Scrolling the Article
3880 @cindex article scrolling
3885 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3886 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3887 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3888 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3889 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3892 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3893 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3894 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3897 @kindex RET (Summary)
3898 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3899 Scroll the current article one line forward
3900 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3903 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
3904 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
3905 Scroll the current article one line backward
3906 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
3910 @kindex A g (Summary)
3912 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3913 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3914 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3915 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3916 the way it came from the server.
3921 @kindex A < (Summary)
3922 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3923 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3924 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3929 @kindex A > (Summary)
3930 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3931 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3935 @kindex A s (Summary)
3937 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3938 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3939 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3943 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
3944 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
3949 @node Reply Followup and Post
3950 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3953 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3954 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3955 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
3956 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3960 @node Summary Mail Commands
3961 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3963 @cindex composing mail
3965 Commands for composing a mail message:
3971 @kindex S r (Summary)
3973 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3974 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3975 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3976 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3977 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3982 @kindex S R (Summary)
3983 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3984 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3985 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3986 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3987 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3990 @kindex S w (Summary)
3991 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3992 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3993 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3994 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3995 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3998 @kindex S W (Summary)
3999 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4000 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4001 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4002 the process/prefix convention.
4005 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4006 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4007 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4008 Forward the current article to some other person
4009 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4010 headers of the forwarded article.
4015 @kindex S m (Summary)
4016 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4017 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4018 Send a mail to some other person
4019 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4022 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4023 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4024 @cindex bouncing mail
4025 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4026 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4027 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4028 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4029 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4030 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
4031 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4032 very well fail, though.
4035 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4036 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4037 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4038 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4039 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4040 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4041 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4042 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4043 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4044 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4046 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4047 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4048 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4049 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4050 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4052 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4053 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4056 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4057 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4058 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4059 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4060 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4063 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4064 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4065 @cindex crossposting
4066 @cindex excessive crossposting
4067 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4068 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4070 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4071 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4072 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4073 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4074 command understands the process/prefix convention
4075 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4079 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4082 @node Summary Post Commands
4083 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4085 @cindex composing news
4087 Commands for posting a news article:
4093 @kindex S p (Summary)
4094 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4095 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4096 Post an article to the current group
4097 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4102 @kindex S f (Summary)
4103 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4104 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4105 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4109 @kindex S F (Summary)
4111 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4112 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4113 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4114 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4115 process/prefix convention.
4118 @kindex S n (Summary)
4119 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4120 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4121 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4124 @kindex S N (Summary)
4125 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4126 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4127 message through mail and include the original message
4128 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4129 the process/prefix convention.
4132 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4133 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4134 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4135 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4136 headers of the forwarded article.
4139 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4140 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4142 @cindex making digests
4143 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4144 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4145 process/prefix convention.
4148 @kindex S u (Summary)
4149 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4150 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4151 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4152 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4155 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4158 @node Summary Message Commands
4159 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4163 @kindex S y (Summary)
4164 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4165 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4166 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4167 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4168 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4173 @node Canceling and Superseding
4174 @subsection Canceling Articles
4175 @cindex canceling articles
4176 @cindex superseding articles
4178 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4179 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4181 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4183 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4185 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4186 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4187 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4188 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4189 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4190 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4192 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4193 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4196 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4197 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4198 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4200 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4201 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4202 your original article.
4204 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4206 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4207 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4208 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4211 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4212 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4213 have posted almost the same article twice.
4215 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4216 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4217 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4218 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4219 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4220 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4221 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4222 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4223 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4224 canceled/superseded.
4226 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4229 @node Marking Articles
4230 @section Marking Articles
4231 @cindex article marking
4232 @cindex article ticking
4235 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4237 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4238 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4239 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4241 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4244 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4245 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4246 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4250 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4254 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4255 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4256 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4260 @node Unread Articles
4261 @subsection Unread Articles
4263 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4268 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4269 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4271 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4272 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4273 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4274 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4275 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4279 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4280 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4282 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4283 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4284 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4287 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4288 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4290 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4295 @subsection Read Articles
4296 @cindex expirable mark
4298 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4303 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4304 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4305 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4308 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4309 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4312 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4313 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4314 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4317 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4318 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4321 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4322 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4325 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4326 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4329 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4330 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4333 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4334 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4337 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4338 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4341 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4342 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4346 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4347 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4348 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4352 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4353 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4355 One more special mark, though:
4359 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4360 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4362 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4363 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4364 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4365 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4371 @subsection Other Marks
4372 @cindex process mark
4375 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4381 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4382 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4383 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4384 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4385 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4388 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4389 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4390 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4391 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4394 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4395 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4396 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4399 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4400 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4401 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4402 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4405 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4406 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4407 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4408 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4409 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4412 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4413 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4414 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4415 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4416 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4417 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4421 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4422 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4423 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4425 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4426 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4427 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4431 @subsection Setting Marks
4432 @cindex setting marks
4434 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4439 @kindex M c (Summary)
4440 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4441 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4442 @cindex mark as unread
4443 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4444 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4450 @kindex M t (Summary)
4451 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4452 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4453 @xref{Article Caching}.
4458 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4459 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4460 Mark the current article as dormant
4461 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4465 @kindex M d (Summary)
4467 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4468 Mark the current article as read
4469 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4473 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4474 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4475 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4480 @kindex M k (Summary)
4481 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4482 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4483 and then select the next unread article
4484 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4488 @kindex M K (Summary)
4489 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4490 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4491 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4492 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4495 @kindex M C (Summary)
4496 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4497 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4498 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4501 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4502 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4503 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4504 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4507 @kindex M H (Summary)
4508 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4509 Catchup the current group to point
4510 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4513 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4514 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4515 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4516 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4519 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4520 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4521 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4522 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4526 @kindex M e (Summary)
4528 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4529 Mark the current article as expirable
4530 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4533 @kindex M b (Summary)
4534 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4535 Set a bookmark in the current article
4536 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4539 @kindex M B (Summary)
4540 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4541 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4542 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4545 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4546 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4547 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4548 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4551 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4552 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4553 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4554 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4557 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4558 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4559 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4560 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4561 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4564 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4565 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4566 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4567 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4568 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4569 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4570 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4571 The default is @code{t}.
4574 @node Generic Marking Commands
4575 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
4577 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
4578 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
4579 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
4580 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
4581 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
4584 Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
4585 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
4588 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
4589 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
4590 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
4591 to list in this manual.
4593 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
4594 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
4595 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
4596 article, you could say something like:
4599 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
4600 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
4601 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
4607 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
4608 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
4612 @node Setting Process Marks
4613 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4614 @cindex setting process marks
4621 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4622 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4623 Mark the current article with the process mark
4624 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4625 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4629 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4630 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4631 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4632 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4635 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4636 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4637 Remove the process mark from all articles
4638 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4641 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4642 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4643 Invert the list of process marked articles
4644 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4647 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4648 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4649 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
4650 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4653 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4654 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4655 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4658 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4659 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4660 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4661 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4664 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4665 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4666 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4667 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4670 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4671 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4672 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4673 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4676 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4677 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4678 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4681 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4682 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4683 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4684 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4687 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4688 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4689 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4692 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4693 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4694 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4695 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4698 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4699 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4700 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4701 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4704 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4705 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4706 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4707 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4710 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4711 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4712 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4713 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4722 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4723 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4724 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4727 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
4728 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
4729 additional articles.
4735 @kindex / / (Summary)
4736 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4737 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4738 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4741 @kindex / a (Summary)
4742 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4743 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4744 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4747 @kindex / x (Summary)
4748 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
4749 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
4750 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
4751 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4755 @kindex / u (Summary)
4757 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4758 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4759 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4760 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4761 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4764 @kindex / m (Summary)
4765 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4766 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
4767 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4770 @kindex / t (Summary)
4771 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4772 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4773 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4774 articles younger than that number of days.
4777 @kindex / n (Summary)
4778 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4779 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4780 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4781 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4784 @kindex / w (Summary)
4785 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4786 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4787 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4791 @kindex / v (Summary)
4792 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4793 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4794 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4798 @kindex M S (Summary)
4799 @kindex / E (Summary)
4800 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4801 Include all expunged articles in the limit
4802 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4805 @kindex / D (Summary)
4806 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4807 Include all dormant articles in the limit
4808 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4811 @kindex / * (Summary)
4812 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
4813 Include all cached articles in the limit
4814 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
4817 @kindex / d (Summary)
4818 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4819 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
4820 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4823 @kindex / M (Summary)
4824 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
4825 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
4828 @kindex / T (Summary)
4829 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
4830 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
4833 @kindex / c (Summary)
4834 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4835 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
4836 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4839 @kindex / C (Summary)
4840 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4841 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4842 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4843 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4851 @cindex article threading
4853 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4854 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4855 hierarchical fashion.
4857 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
4858 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
4859 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
4860 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
4861 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
4862 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
4863 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
4865 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
4869 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
4872 A tree-like article structure.
4875 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
4878 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
4879 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
4880 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
4881 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
4882 called loose threads.
4884 @item thread gathering
4885 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
4887 @item sparse threads
4888 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
4889 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
4895 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4896 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4900 @node Customizing Threading
4901 @subsection Customizing Threading
4902 @cindex customizing threading
4905 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
4906 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
4907 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
4908 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
4913 @subsubsection Loose Threads
4916 @cindex loose threads
4919 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4920 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4921 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4922 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4923 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4924 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4926 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4927 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4928 There are four possible values:
4932 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4933 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4934 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4935 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4936 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4941 @cindex adopting articles
4946 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4947 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4948 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4949 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4952 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4953 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4954 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4955 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4956 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4957 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4958 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4961 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4962 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4963 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4967 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4968 display them after one another.
4971 Don't gather loose threads.
4974 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4975 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4976 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4977 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4978 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4979 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4980 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4981 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4982 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4983 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4984 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4986 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4987 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4988 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4991 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4992 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4993 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4994 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4995 simplification is used.
4997 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4998 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4999 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5000 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5002 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5004 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5010 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5011 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5012 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5013 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5018 (mapconcat 'identity
5019 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5021 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5024 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5027 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5028 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5029 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5030 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5031 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5032 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5034 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5037 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5038 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5039 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5041 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5042 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5045 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5046 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5047 Remove excessive whitespace.
5050 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5053 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5054 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5055 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5056 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5057 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5058 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5059 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5060 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5062 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5063 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5064 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5065 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5066 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5067 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5068 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5069 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5070 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5074 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5075 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5076 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5077 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5079 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5080 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5081 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5084 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5088 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5089 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5095 @node Filling In Threads
5096 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5099 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5100 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5101 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5102 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5103 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5104 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5105 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5106 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5107 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5108 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5109 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5110 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
5112 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5113 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5114 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5116 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5117 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5118 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5119 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5120 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5121 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5122 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
5123 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5124 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
5125 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
5126 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5127 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
5128 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5129 @code{nil} by default.
5134 @node More Threading
5135 @subsubsection More Threading
5138 @item gnus-show-threads
5139 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5140 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5141 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5142 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5143 slower and more awkward.
5145 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5146 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5147 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5150 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5151 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5152 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5153 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5154 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5155 threads are expunged.
5157 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5158 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5159 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5162 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5163 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5164 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5165 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5166 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5169 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5170 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5171 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5174 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5175 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5176 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5177 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5178 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5179 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5180 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to. Setting
5181 this variable to an alternate value
5182 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5183 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5184 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5189 @node Low-Level Threading
5190 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5194 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5195 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5196 Hook run before parsing any headers.
5198 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5199 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5200 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5201 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5202 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5203 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5204 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5205 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5206 meaningful. Here's one example:
5209 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5211 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5212 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5214 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5216 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5223 @node Thread Commands
5224 @subsection Thread Commands
5225 @cindex thread commands
5231 @kindex T k (Summary)
5232 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5233 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5234 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5235 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5236 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5241 @kindex T l (Summary)
5242 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5244 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5245 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5248 @kindex T i (Summary)
5249 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5250 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5251 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5254 @kindex T # (Summary)
5255 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5256 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5257 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5260 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5261 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5262 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5263 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5266 @kindex T T (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5268 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5271 @kindex T s (Summary)
5272 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5273 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5274 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5277 @kindex T h (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5279 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5282 @kindex T S (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5284 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5287 @kindex T H (Summary)
5288 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5289 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5292 @kindex T t (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5294 Re-thread the current article's thread
5295 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5296 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5299 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5300 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5301 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5302 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5306 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5307 understand the numeric prefix.
5312 @kindex T n (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5314 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5317 @kindex T p (Summary)
5318 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5319 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5322 @kindex T d (Summary)
5323 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5324 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5327 @kindex T u (Summary)
5328 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5329 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5332 @kindex T o (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5334 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5337 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5338 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5339 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5340 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5341 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5342 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5343 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5344 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5345 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5346 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5347 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5348 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5355 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5356 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5357 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5358 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5359 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5360 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5361 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5362 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5363 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5364 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5365 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5367 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5368 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5369 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5370 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5371 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5373 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5374 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5375 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5377 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5378 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5379 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5380 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5381 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5382 ascending article order.
5384 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5385 by number, you could do something like:
5388 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5389 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5390 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5391 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5394 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5395 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5396 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5397 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5398 which the articles arrived.
5400 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5404 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5406 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5407 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5410 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5411 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5412 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5413 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5416 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5417 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5418 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5419 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5420 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5421 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5422 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5423 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5424 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5425 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5426 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5427 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5428 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5430 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5434 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5435 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5436 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5441 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5442 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5443 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5444 @cindex article pre-fetch
5447 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5448 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5449 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5450 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5451 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5453 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5454 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
5456 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5457 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5458 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5459 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5460 connection is blocked.
5462 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5463 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5464 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5465 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
5467 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
5468 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
5469 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
5470 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
5473 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
5476 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
5477 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
5478 happen automatically.
5480 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
5481 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
5482 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
5483 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
5484 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
5485 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
5486 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
5488 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
5489 @findex gnus-async-read-p
5490 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
5491 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
5492 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
5493 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
5494 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
5495 data structure as the only parameter.
5497 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
5500 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
5501 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
5502 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
5503 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
5506 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
5509 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
5510 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
5511 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
5513 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
5514 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
5515 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
5516 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
5520 Remove articles when they are read.
5523 Remove articles when exiting the group.
5526 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
5528 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
5529 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
5530 @c from the next group.
5533 @node Article Caching
5534 @section Article Caching
5535 @cindex article caching
5538 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
5539 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
5540 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
5541 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
5542 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
5544 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
5546 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5547 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
5548 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5549 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5550 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5551 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5552 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5553 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5555 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5556 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5557 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5558 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5559 as dormant, and don't worry.
5561 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5563 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5564 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5565 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5566 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5567 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5568 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5569 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5570 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5571 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5572 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5574 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5575 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5576 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5577 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
5578 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
5579 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
5580 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
5581 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
5582 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
5583 not then be downloaded by this command.
5585 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5586 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
5587 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
5588 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5589 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5590 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
5592 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
5593 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
5594 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
5595 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
5596 variables, the group is not cached.
5598 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5599 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5600 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5601 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5602 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5603 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
5604 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5605 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5606 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5610 @node Persistent Articles
5611 @section Persistent Articles
5612 @cindex persistent articles
5614 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5615 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5616 useful in my opinion.
5618 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5619 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5620 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5621 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5622 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5623 the expiry going on at the news server.
5625 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5626 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5627 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5633 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5634 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5637 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5638 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5639 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5640 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5644 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5646 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5647 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5648 interested in persistent articles:
5651 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5655 @node Article Backlog
5656 @section Article Backlog
5658 @cindex article backlog
5660 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5661 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5662 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5663 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5664 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5665 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5666 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5667 increase memory usage some.
5669 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5670 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5671 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5672 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5673 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5674 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5675 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5677 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5680 @node Saving Articles
5681 @section Saving Articles
5682 @cindex saving articles
5684 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5685 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5686 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5687 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5688 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5690 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5691 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5692 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5694 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5695 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5696 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5697 deleted before saving.
5703 @kindex O o (Summary)
5705 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5706 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5707 Save the current article using the default article saver
5708 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5711 @kindex O m (Summary)
5712 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5713 Save the current article in mail format
5714 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5717 @kindex O r (Summary)
5718 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5719 Save the current article in rmail format
5720 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5723 @kindex O f (Summary)
5724 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5725 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5726 Save the current article in plain file format
5727 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5730 @kindex O F (Summary)
5731 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5732 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5733 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5736 @kindex O b (Summary)
5737 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5738 Save the current article body in plain file format
5739 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5742 @kindex O h (Summary)
5743 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5744 Save the current article in mh folder format
5745 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5748 @kindex O v (Summary)
5749 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5750 Save the current article in a VM folder
5751 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5754 @kindex O p (Summary)
5755 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5756 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5757 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5760 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5761 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5762 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5763 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5764 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5765 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5766 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5767 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5768 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5769 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5770 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5771 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5775 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5776 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5777 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
5778 functions below, or you can create your own.
5782 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5783 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5784 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5785 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5786 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5787 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5788 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5790 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5791 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5792 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5793 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5794 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5795 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5797 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5798 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5799 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5800 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5801 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5802 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5803 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5805 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5806 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5807 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5808 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5809 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5811 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5812 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5813 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5814 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5815 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5818 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5819 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5820 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5821 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5822 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5824 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5825 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5826 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5827 reader to use this setting.
5830 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5831 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5832 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5833 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5836 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5837 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5838 available functions that generate names:
5842 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5843 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5844 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5846 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5847 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5848 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5850 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5851 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5852 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5854 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5855 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5856 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5859 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5860 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5861 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5862 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5863 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5867 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5868 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5869 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5870 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5873 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5874 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5875 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5876 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5877 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5878 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5879 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5880 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5881 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5883 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5884 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5885 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5886 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5888 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5889 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5890 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5893 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5894 lots of mail groups called things like
5895 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5896 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5897 following will do just that:
5900 (defun my-save-name (group)
5901 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5902 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5904 (setq gnus-split-methods
5905 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5910 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5911 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5912 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5913 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5914 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5915 all the files in the top level directory
5916 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5917 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5918 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5919 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5921 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5922 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5923 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5924 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5925 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5928 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5932 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5933 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5936 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5937 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5938 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5939 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5942 @node Decoding Articles
5943 @section Decoding Articles
5944 @cindex decoding articles
5946 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5947 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5950 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5951 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
5952 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5953 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5954 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5955 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5959 @cindex article series
5960 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5961 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5962 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5963 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5964 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5966 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5967 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5968 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5970 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5971 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5972 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5974 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5975 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5976 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5979 @node Uuencoded Articles
5980 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5982 @cindex uuencoded articles
5987 @kindex X u (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5989 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5990 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5993 @kindex X U (Summary)
5994 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5995 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5996 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5999 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6001 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6004 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6005 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6006 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6007 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6011 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6012 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6013 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6014 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6015 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6017 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6018 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6019 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6020 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6023 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6024 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6025 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6026 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6027 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6028 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6032 @node Shell Archives
6033 @subsection Shell Archives
6035 @cindex shell archives
6036 @cindex shared articles
6038 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6039 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6040 some commands to deal with these:
6045 @kindex X s (Summary)
6046 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6047 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6050 @kindex X S (Summary)
6051 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6052 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6055 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6057 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6060 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6062 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6063 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6067 @node PostScript Files
6068 @subsection PostScript Files
6074 @kindex X p (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6076 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6079 @kindex X P (Summary)
6080 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6081 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6082 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6085 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6086 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6087 View the current PostScript series
6088 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6091 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6092 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6093 View and save the current PostScript series
6094 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6099 @subsection Other Files
6103 @kindex X o (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6105 Save the current series
6106 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6109 @kindex X b (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6111 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6112 doesn't really work yet.
6116 @node Decoding Variables
6117 @subsection Decoding Variables
6119 Adjective, not verb.
6122 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6123 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6124 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6128 @node Rule Variables
6129 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6130 @cindex rule variables
6132 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6133 variables are of the form
6136 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6143 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6144 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6146 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6147 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6150 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6151 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6154 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6155 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6156 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6157 user and default view rules.
6159 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6160 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6161 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6166 @node Other Decode Variables
6167 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6170 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6172 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6173 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6174 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6175 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6176 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6180 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6181 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6184 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6185 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6186 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6189 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6190 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6191 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6192 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6193 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6196 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6197 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6198 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6200 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6201 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6202 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6203 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6204 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6207 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6208 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6209 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6211 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6212 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6213 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6214 looking for files to display.
6216 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6217 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6218 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6221 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6222 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6223 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6226 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6227 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6228 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6231 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6232 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6233 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6236 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6237 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6238 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6239 decoded articles as unread.
6241 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6242 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6243 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6244 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6246 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6247 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6248 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6250 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6251 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6253 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6254 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6255 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6256 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6258 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6259 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6260 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6261 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6262 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6263 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
6264 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6265 simply dropped them.
6270 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6271 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6275 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6276 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6277 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6278 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6279 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6280 for you when you post the article.
6282 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6283 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6284 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6285 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6287 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6288 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6289 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6290 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6291 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6292 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6293 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6295 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6296 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6297 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6298 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6299 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6300 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6301 Default is @code{t}.
6307 @subsection Viewing Files
6308 @cindex viewing files
6309 @cindex pseudo-articles
6311 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
6312 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6313 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6314 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
6315 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6316 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6317 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6319 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6320 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6321 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6322 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6324 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6325 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6326 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6328 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6329 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6330 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6331 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6332 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6334 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6335 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6336 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6337 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6338 a list of parameters to that command.
6340 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6341 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6342 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6344 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6345 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6346 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6349 @node Article Treatment
6350 @section Article Treatment
6352 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6353 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6354 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6355 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6356 these articles easier.
6359 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6360 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6361 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6362 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6363 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6364 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6365 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6366 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
6370 @node Article Highlighting
6371 @subsection Article Highlighting
6372 @cindex highlighting
6374 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6375 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6380 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6381 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6382 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6383 Do much highlighting of the current article
6384 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6385 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6388 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6390 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6391 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6392 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6393 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
6394 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
6395 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6396 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6397 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6398 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6399 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6402 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6403 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6404 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6406 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6409 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6411 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6412 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6413 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6415 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6416 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6417 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6419 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6420 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6421 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6423 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6424 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6425 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6426 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6427 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6428 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6430 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6431 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6432 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6434 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6435 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6436 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6438 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6439 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6440 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6441 that it's a citation.
6443 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6444 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6445 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6447 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6448 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6449 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6451 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6452 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6453 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6454 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6460 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6461 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6462 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6463 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6464 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6465 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6466 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6467 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
6472 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
6475 @node Article Fontisizing
6476 @subsection Article Fontisizing
6478 @cindex article emphasis
6480 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
6481 @kindex W e (Summary)
6482 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
6483 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
6484 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
6485 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
6487 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
6488 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
6489 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
6490 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
6491 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
6492 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
6493 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
6494 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
6498 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
6499 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
6500 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
6509 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
6510 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
6511 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
6512 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
6513 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
6514 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
6515 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
6516 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
6517 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
6518 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
6519 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
6520 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
6521 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
6523 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
6524 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
6525 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
6529 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
6532 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
6534 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
6535 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
6536 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
6537 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
6539 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
6542 @node Article Hiding
6543 @subsection Article Hiding
6544 @cindex article hiding
6546 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
6547 too much cruft in most articles.
6552 @kindex W W a (Summary)
6553 @findex gnus-article-hide
6554 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
6555 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
6556 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
6559 @kindex W W h (Summary)
6560 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
6561 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
6565 @kindex W W b (Summary)
6566 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6567 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
6568 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
6571 @kindex W W s (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
6573 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
6577 @kindex W W l (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
6579 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
6580 Hide list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. Theese
6581 are strings some list servers add to the beginning of all @code{Subject}
6582 headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}.
6586 @item gnus-list-identifiers
6587 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
6588 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
6589 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
6594 @kindex W W p (Summary)
6595 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
6596 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6597 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
6598 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
6599 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
6600 articles that have signatures in them do:
6602 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
6604 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
6606 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
6607 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
6609 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6612 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
6617 @kindex W W P (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
6619 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
6620 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6623 @kindex W W B (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
6627 @cindex stripping advertisments
6628 @cindex advertisments
6629 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
6630 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
6631 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
6632 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
6633 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
6634 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
6635 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
6636 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
6637 signature should be removed.
6640 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6641 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6642 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6643 customizing the hiding:
6647 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6648 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6649 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6650 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6651 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6652 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6653 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6658 Starting point of the hidden text.
6660 Ending point of the hidden text.
6662 Number of characters in the hidden region.
6664 Number of lines of hidden text.
6667 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6668 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6669 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6674 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
6675 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
6677 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
6678 following two variables:
6681 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6682 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6683 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6684 50), hide the cited text.
6686 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6687 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6688 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6693 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6694 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6695 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6696 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6697 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6698 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6702 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6703 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6704 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6706 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6707 citation customization.
6709 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
6713 @node Article Washing
6714 @subsection Article Washing
6716 @cindex article washing
6718 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6719 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6721 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6722 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6728 @kindex W l (Summary)
6729 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6730 Remove page breaks from the current article
6731 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
6735 @kindex W r (Summary)
6736 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6737 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6738 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6739 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6740 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
6741 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
6743 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
6744 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
6745 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
6746 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
6749 @kindex W t (Summary)
6750 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6751 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6752 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6755 @kindex W v (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6757 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6758 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6761 @kindex W o (Summary)
6762 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6763 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6766 @kindex W d (Summary)
6767 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
6768 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
6770 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
6772 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
6773 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
6774 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
6775 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
6779 @kindex W w (Summary)
6780 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6781 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
6783 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6787 @kindex W Q (Summary)
6788 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
6789 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
6792 @kindex W C (Summary)
6793 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
6794 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
6795 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
6798 @kindex W c (Summary)
6799 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6800 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
6801 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
6802 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
6803 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6806 @kindex W q (Summary)
6807 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
6808 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
6809 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
6810 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
6811 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
6812 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
6813 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
6814 header that says that this encoding has been done.
6817 @kindex W f (Summary)
6819 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6820 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6821 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6822 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6828 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6829 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6830 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6831 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6832 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6833 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6834 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6835 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6836 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6837 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6838 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6839 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6840 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6841 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6845 @kindex W b (Summary)
6846 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6847 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6848 @xref{Article Buttons}.
6851 @kindex W B (Summary)
6852 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6853 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6854 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6857 @kindex W W H (Summary)
6858 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
6859 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
6860 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
6863 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6864 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6865 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6866 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6869 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6870 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6871 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6872 lines with a single empty line.
6873 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6876 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6877 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6878 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6879 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6882 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6883 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6884 Do all the three commands above
6885 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6888 @kindex W E A (Summary)
6889 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
6890 Remove all blank lines
6891 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
6894 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6895 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6896 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6897 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6900 @kindex W E e (Summary)
6901 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
6902 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
6903 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
6907 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
6910 @node Article Buttons
6911 @subsection Article Buttons
6914 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6915 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6916 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
6917 button on these references.
6919 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6920 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6921 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6926 @item gnus-button-alist
6927 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6928 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6931 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6937 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6938 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6939 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6942 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6943 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6944 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6947 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6948 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6949 avoid false matches.
6952 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6955 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6956 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6960 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6963 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6966 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6967 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6968 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6969 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6970 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6973 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6976 @var{header} is a regular expression.
6978 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6979 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6980 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6981 default values of the variables above.
6983 @item gnus-article-button-face
6984 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6985 Face used on buttons.
6987 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6988 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6989 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6993 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
6997 @subsection Article Date
6999 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7000 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7001 when the article was sent.
7006 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7007 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7008 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7009 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7012 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7013 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7015 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7016 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7019 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7020 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7021 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7024 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7025 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7026 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7027 @findex format-time-string
7028 Display the date using a user-defined format
7029 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7030 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7031 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7032 for a list of possible format specs.
7035 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7036 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7037 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7038 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7039 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7040 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7043 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7046 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7047 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7050 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7051 into wonderful absurdities.
7053 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7056 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7059 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7060 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7064 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7065 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7066 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7067 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7068 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7069 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7070 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7074 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7075 preferred format automatically.
7078 @node Article Signature
7079 @subsection Article Signature
7081 @cindex article signature
7083 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7084 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7085 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7086 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7087 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7088 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7089 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7090 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7091 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7094 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7095 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7096 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7097 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7098 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7099 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7100 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7101 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7104 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7107 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7108 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7109 signature when displaying articles.
7113 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7116 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7119 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7120 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7122 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7123 in question is not a signature.
7126 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7127 listed above. Here's an example:
7130 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7131 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7134 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7135 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7136 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7137 signature after all.
7140 @node Article Miscellania
7141 @subsection Article Miscellania
7145 @kindex A t (Summary)
7146 @findex gnus-article-babel
7147 Translate the article from one language to another
7148 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7154 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7155 @cindex MIME decoding
7157 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7158 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7164 @kindex K b (Summary)
7165 View the @sc{mime} part.
7168 @kindex K o (Summary)
7169 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7172 @kindex K c (Summary)
7173 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7176 @kindex K e (Summary)
7177 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7180 @kindex K i (Summary)
7181 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7184 @kindex K | (Summary)
7185 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7188 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7193 @kindex K b (Summary)
7194 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in from of them.
7197 @kindex K m (Summary)
7198 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7199 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7200 be viewed in a more pleasant manner.
7203 @kindex X m (Summary)
7204 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7205 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7206 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7207 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7210 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7211 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7212 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7213 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7216 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7217 Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers
7218 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7221 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7222 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7223 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7225 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7226 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7227 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7228 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7229 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7230 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7233 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7234 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7235 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7242 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7243 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7244 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7245 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7248 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7251 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7255 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7256 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7257 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7258 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7259 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7261 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7262 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7263 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7264 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7265 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7266 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7267 save all jpegs into some directory).
7269 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7272 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7273 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7275 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7276 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7277 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7278 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7279 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7282 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7283 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7284 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7293 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7294 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7295 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7296 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7297 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7298 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7299 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7301 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7302 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7303 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7304 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7306 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7307 aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7308 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7309 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7310 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7311 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7312 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7313 something some agents insist on having in there.
7316 @node Article Commands
7317 @section Article Commands
7324 @kindex A P (Summary)
7325 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
7326 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
7327 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
7328 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
7329 run just before printing the buffer.
7334 @node Summary Sorting
7335 @section Summary Sorting
7336 @cindex summary sorting
7338 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
7339 can't really see why you'd want that.
7344 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
7345 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
7346 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
7349 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
7350 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
7351 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
7354 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
7356 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
7359 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
7360 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
7361 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
7364 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
7365 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
7366 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
7369 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
7370 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
7371 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
7374 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
7375 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
7376 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
7379 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
7380 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
7381 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
7382 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
7383 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
7387 @node Finding the Parent
7388 @section Finding the Parent
7389 @cindex parent articles
7390 @cindex referring articles
7395 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
7396 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
7397 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
7398 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
7399 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
7400 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
7401 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
7402 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
7403 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
7405 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
7406 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
7407 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
7408 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
7409 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
7413 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
7414 @kindex A R (Summary)
7415 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
7416 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
7419 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
7420 @kindex A T (Summary)
7421 Display the full thread where the current article appears
7422 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
7423 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
7424 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
7425 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
7426 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
7427 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
7429 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
7430 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
7431 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
7432 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
7433 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
7434 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
7437 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
7438 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
7440 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
7441 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
7442 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
7443 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
7444 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
7445 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
7446 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
7449 The current select method will be used when fetching by
7450 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
7451 by giving this command a prefix.
7453 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
7454 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
7455 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
7456 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
7457 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
7458 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
7461 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
7462 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
7463 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
7466 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
7467 then ask Deja if that fails:
7470 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
7472 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
7475 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
7476 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
7477 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
7478 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
7479 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
7480 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
7483 @node Alternative Approaches
7484 @section Alternative Approaches
7486 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
7487 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
7490 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
7491 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
7496 @subsection Pick and Read
7497 @cindex pick and read
7499 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
7500 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
7501 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
7502 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
7504 @findex gnus-pick-mode
7505 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
7506 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
7507 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
7508 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
7509 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
7511 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
7516 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
7517 Pick the article or thread on the current line
7518 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7519 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
7520 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
7521 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
7522 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
7523 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
7526 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
7527 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
7528 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
7529 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
7533 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
7534 Unpick the thread or article
7535 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7536 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
7537 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
7538 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
7539 the thread or article at that line.
7543 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
7544 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
7545 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
7546 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
7547 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
7548 will still be visible when you are reading.
7552 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
7553 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
7554 which is mapped to the same function
7555 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
7557 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
7560 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
7563 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
7564 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
7566 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
7567 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
7568 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
7570 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
7571 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
7572 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
7573 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
7574 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
7575 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
7576 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
7580 @subsection Binary Groups
7581 @cindex binary groups
7583 @findex gnus-binary-mode
7584 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
7585 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
7586 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
7587 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
7588 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
7589 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
7592 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
7593 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
7594 command, when you have turned on this mode
7595 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
7597 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
7598 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
7602 @section Tree Display
7605 @vindex gnus-use-trees
7606 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
7607 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
7608 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
7611 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
7614 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
7615 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
7616 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
7618 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7619 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7620 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
7621 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
7622 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
7624 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
7625 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
7626 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
7627 default is @code{modeline}.
7629 @item gnus-tree-line-format
7630 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
7631 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
7632 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
7633 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
7634 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
7635 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
7641 The name of the poster.
7643 The @code{From} header.
7645 The number of the article.
7647 The opening bracket.
7649 The closing bracket.
7654 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7656 Variables related to the display are:
7659 @item gnus-tree-brackets
7660 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
7661 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
7662 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
7663 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
7664 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
7666 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7667 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7668 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
7669 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
7673 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
7674 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
7675 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
7676 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
7677 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
7678 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
7679 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
7680 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
7681 other windows displayed next to it.
7683 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
7684 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
7685 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7686 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
7687 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
7688 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
7689 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
7693 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
7696 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
7706 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
7710 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
7711 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
7713 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
7715 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
7720 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
7721 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
7722 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
7725 (setq gnus-use-trees t
7726 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7727 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
7728 (gnus-add-configuration
7732 (summary 0.75 point)
7737 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
7740 @node Mail Group Commands
7741 @section Mail Group Commands
7742 @cindex mail group commands
7744 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
7745 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
7747 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
7748 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7753 @kindex B e (Summary)
7754 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
7755 Expire all expirable articles in the group
7756 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
7759 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
7760 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
7761 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
7762 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
7763 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
7764 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
7767 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
7768 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
7769 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
7770 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
7771 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
7772 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
7775 @kindex B m (Summary)
7777 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
7778 Move the article from one mail group to another
7779 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7782 @kindex B c (Summary)
7784 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
7785 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
7786 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
7787 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
7790 @kindex B B (Summary)
7791 @cindex crosspost mail
7792 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
7793 Crosspost the current article to some other group
7794 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
7795 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
7796 be properly updated.
7799 @kindex B i (Summary)
7800 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
7801 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
7802 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
7803 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
7806 @kindex B r (Summary)
7807 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
7808 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
7809 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
7810 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
7811 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
7815 @kindex B w (Summary)
7817 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
7818 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
7819 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
7820 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
7821 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
7822 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
7825 @kindex B q (Summary)
7826 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
7827 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
7828 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
7829 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
7832 @kindex B t (Summary)
7833 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
7834 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
7835 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
7838 @kindex B p (Summary)
7839 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
7840 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
7841 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
7842 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
7843 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
7844 article from your news server (or rather, from
7845 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
7846 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
7847 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
7848 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
7849 just not have arrived yet.
7853 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
7854 @cindex moving articles
7855 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
7856 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
7857 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
7858 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
7859 suggestions you find reasonable.
7862 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
7863 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
7864 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
7865 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
7869 @node Various Summary Stuff
7870 @section Various Summary Stuff
7873 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
7874 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
7875 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
7876 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
7880 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
7881 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
7882 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
7884 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
7885 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
7886 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
7887 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
7888 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
7889 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
7892 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7893 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7894 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
7895 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
7896 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
7898 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7899 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7900 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
7903 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7904 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7905 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
7906 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
7907 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
7908 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
7909 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
7910 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
7911 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
7912 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
7917 @node Summary Group Information
7918 @subsection Summary Group Information
7923 @kindex H f (Summary)
7924 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
7925 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
7926 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
7927 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
7928 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
7929 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
7930 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
7931 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
7932 be used for fetching the file.
7935 @kindex H d (Summary)
7936 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
7937 Give a brief description of the current group
7938 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
7939 rereading the description from the server.
7942 @kindex H h (Summary)
7943 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
7944 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
7945 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
7948 @kindex H i (Summary)
7949 @findex gnus-info-find-node
7950 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7954 @node Searching for Articles
7955 @subsection Searching for Articles
7960 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7961 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7962 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7963 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7966 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7967 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7968 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7969 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7973 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7974 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7975 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7976 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7980 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7981 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7982 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7983 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7986 @node Summary Generation Commands
7987 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7992 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7993 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7994 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7997 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7998 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7999 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8000 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8005 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8006 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8012 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8013 @kindex A D (Summary)
8014 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8015 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8016 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8017 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8018 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8019 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8020 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8021 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8025 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8026 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8027 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8028 several documents into one biiig group
8029 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8030 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8031 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8032 command understands the process/prefix convention
8033 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8036 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8037 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8038 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8039 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8040 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8041 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8045 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8046 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8047 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8050 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8051 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8052 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8053 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8056 @kindex M-C-g (Summary)
8057 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8058 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8059 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8064 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8065 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8066 @cindex summary exit
8067 @cindex exiting groups
8069 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8070 group and return you to the group buffer.
8076 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8078 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8079 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8080 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8081 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8082 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8083 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8084 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8085 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8086 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8087 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8088 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8092 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8095 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8096 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8100 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8103 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8104 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8105 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8108 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8110 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8111 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8114 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8115 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8116 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8117 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8120 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8121 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8122 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8123 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8124 all articles, both read and unread.
8128 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8129 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8131 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8132 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8133 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8134 articles, both read and unread.
8137 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8138 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8139 Exit the group and go to the next group
8140 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8143 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8144 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8145 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8146 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8149 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8150 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8151 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8152 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8153 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8154 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8157 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8158 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
8161 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8162 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8163 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8164 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8165 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8166 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8167 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8168 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8169 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8170 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8171 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8172 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8174 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8176 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8177 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8178 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8179 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8180 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8181 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8182 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8183 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8184 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8187 @node Crosspost Handling
8188 @section Crosspost Handling
8192 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8193 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8194 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8195 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8196 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8197 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8200 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8201 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8202 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8203 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8204 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8206 @cindex cross-posting
8209 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8210 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8211 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8212 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8213 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8214 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8215 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8216 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8217 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8218 the cross reference mechanism.
8220 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8221 @cindex overview.fmt
8222 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8223 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8224 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8225 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8226 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
8227 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
8230 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
8231 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
8232 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
8237 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
8240 @node Duplicate Suppression
8241 @section Duplicate Suppression
8243 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
8244 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
8245 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
8246 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
8251 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
8252 is evil and not very common.
8255 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
8256 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
8259 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
8260 different @sc{nntp} servers.
8263 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
8266 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
8267 well, but these four are the most common situations.
8269 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
8270 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
8271 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
8272 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
8273 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
8274 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
8275 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
8278 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
8279 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
8280 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
8281 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
8282 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
8286 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
8287 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
8288 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
8290 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
8291 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
8292 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
8293 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
8294 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
8295 session are suppressed.
8297 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
8298 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
8299 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
8300 suppression list. The default is 10000.
8302 @item gnus-duplicate-file
8303 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
8304 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
8305 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
8308 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
8309 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
8310 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
8311 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
8312 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
8313 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
8314 to you to figure out, I think.
8317 @node The Article Buffer
8318 @chapter The Article Buffer
8319 @cindex article buffer
8321 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
8322 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
8323 tell Gnus otherwise.
8326 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
8327 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
8328 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
8329 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
8330 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
8334 @node Hiding Headers
8335 @section Hiding Headers
8336 @cindex hiding headers
8337 @cindex deleting headers
8339 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
8340 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
8342 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
8343 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
8344 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
8345 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
8346 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
8347 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
8348 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
8349 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
8350 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
8352 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
8356 @item gnus-visible-headers
8357 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
8358 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
8359 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
8360 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
8362 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
8363 the article and the subject, you'd say:
8366 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
8369 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8372 @item gnus-ignored-headers
8373 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
8374 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
8375 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
8376 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
8377 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
8379 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
8380 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
8383 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
8386 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8389 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
8390 variable will have no effect.
8394 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
8395 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
8396 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
8397 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
8398 the headers are to be displayed.
8400 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
8401 and then the subject, you might say something like:
8404 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
8407 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
8408 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
8410 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8411 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
8412 You can hide further boring headers by setting
8413 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-header} to @code{head}. What this function
8414 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
8415 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
8416 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
8419 These conditions are:
8422 Remove all empty headers.
8424 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
8425 @code{Newsgroups} header.
8427 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
8430 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
8433 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
8436 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
8438 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
8441 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
8444 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
8445 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
8448 This is also the default value for this variable.
8452 @section Using @sc{mime}
8455 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
8456 while people stand around yawning.
8458 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
8459 while all newsreaders die of fear.
8461 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
8462 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
8463 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
8465 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
8466 @findex gnus-display-mime
8467 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
8468 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
8469 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
8470 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
8472 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
8476 @findex gnus-article-press-button
8478 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
8479 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
8480 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
8482 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
8483 @item M-RET (Article)
8485 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
8486 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
8488 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
8490 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
8491 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
8493 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
8495 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
8496 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
8498 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
8500 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
8501 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}.
8503 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
8505 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
8508 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
8509 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
8512 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
8513 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
8514 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
8515 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
8516 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
8517 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
8518 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
8519 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
8520 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
8522 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
8524 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
8527 @node Customizing Articles
8528 @section Customizing Articles
8529 @cindex article customization
8531 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
8532 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
8533 called automatically when you select the articles.
8535 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
8536 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
8537 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
8538 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
8540 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
8541 for sensible values.
8545 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
8548 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
8551 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
8554 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
8557 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
8561 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
8562 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
8563 regexps in the list.
8566 A list where the first element is not a string:
8568 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
8569 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
8570 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
8574 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
8579 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
8580 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
8581 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
8582 considered to contain just a single part.
8584 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
8585 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
8586 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
8587 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
8588 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
8589 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
8590 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
8592 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
8593 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
8594 group. Values in brackets are suggested sensible values. Others are possible
8595 but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
8598 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
8599 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
8600 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
8601 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
8602 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
8603 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
8604 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
8605 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
8606 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
8607 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
8608 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
8609 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
8610 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
8611 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
8612 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
8613 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
8614 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
8615 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
8616 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
8617 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
8618 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
8619 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
8620 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
8621 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
8622 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
8623 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
8624 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
8625 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
8626 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
8627 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
8628 @item gnus-treat-translate
8631 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
8632 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
8633 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
8634 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
8635 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
8639 @node Article Keymap
8640 @section Article Keymap
8642 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
8643 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
8644 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
8645 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
8648 A few additional keystrokes are available:
8653 @kindex SPACE (Article)
8654 @findex gnus-article-next-page
8655 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
8658 @kindex DEL (Article)
8659 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
8660 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
8663 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
8664 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
8665 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
8666 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
8667 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
8670 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
8671 @findex gnus-article-mail
8672 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
8673 given a prefix, include the mail.
8677 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
8678 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
8679 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
8683 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
8684 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
8685 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
8688 @kindex TAB (Article)
8689 @findex gnus-article-next-button
8690 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
8691 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
8694 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
8695 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
8696 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
8702 @section Misc Article
8706 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
8707 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
8708 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
8709 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
8712 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
8713 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
8715 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
8716 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
8718 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
8719 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
8720 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
8721 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
8722 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
8723 the contents of the article buffer.
8725 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
8726 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
8727 Hook called in article mode buffers.
8729 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8730 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8731 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
8732 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
8734 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
8735 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
8736 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
8737 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
8738 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
8743 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
8744 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
8747 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
8750 @vindex gnus-break-pages
8752 @item gnus-break-pages
8753 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
8754 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
8755 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
8756 paging will not be done.
8758 @item gnus-page-delimiter
8759 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
8760 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
8765 @node Composing Messages
8766 @chapter Composing Messages
8767 @cindex composing messages
8770 @cindex sending mail
8775 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
8776 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
8777 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
8778 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
8779 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
8780 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
8781 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
8784 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
8785 * Post:: Posting and following up.
8786 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
8787 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
8788 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
8789 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
8790 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
8791 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
8794 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
8795 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
8801 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
8804 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
8805 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
8806 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
8807 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
8809 @item gnus-add-to-list
8810 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
8811 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
8812 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
8820 Variables for composing news articles:
8823 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8824 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8825 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
8826 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
8827 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
8828 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
8829 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
8830 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
8831 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
8834 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8835 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8836 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
8837 file. It is 1000 by default.
8842 @node Posting Server
8843 @section Posting Server
8845 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
8846 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
8848 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
8850 @vindex gnus-post-method
8852 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
8853 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
8854 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
8855 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
8856 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
8859 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
8862 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
8863 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
8864 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
8865 the ``current'' server for posting.
8867 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
8868 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
8870 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
8871 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
8874 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
8875 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
8876 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
8881 @section Mail and Post
8883 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
8887 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
8888 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
8889 @cindex mailing lists
8891 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
8892 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
8893 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
8894 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
8895 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
8896 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
8897 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
8898 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
8899 still a pain, though.
8903 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
8904 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
8905 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
8908 @findex ispell-message
8910 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
8914 @node Archived Messages
8915 @section Archived Messages
8916 @cindex archived messages
8917 @cindex sent messages
8919 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
8920 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
8921 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
8922 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
8925 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
8926 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
8927 use to store sent messages. The default is:
8931 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
8932 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
8933 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
8934 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
8937 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
8938 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
8939 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
8940 directory chosen, you could say something like:
8943 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
8944 '(nnfolder "archive"
8945 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
8946 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
8947 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
8950 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
8952 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
8953 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
8954 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
8956 This variable can be used to do the following:
8960 Messages will be saved in that group.
8961 @item a list of strings
8962 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
8963 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
8964 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
8966 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
8971 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
8973 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
8976 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
8978 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
8981 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
8983 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8984 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
8985 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
8986 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
8991 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8992 '((if (message-news-p)
8997 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
8998 messages in one file per month:
9001 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9002 '((if (message-news-p)
9004 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9007 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9008 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9010 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9011 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9012 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9013 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9014 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9015 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9016 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9017 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9018 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9019 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9021 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9022 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9023 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9024 this will disable archiving.
9027 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9028 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9029 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9030 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9031 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9034 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9035 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9036 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9039 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9040 but the latter is the preferred method.
9044 @node Posting Styles
9045 @section Posting Styles
9046 @cindex posting styles
9049 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9051 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9052 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9053 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9056 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9057 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9058 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9059 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9060 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9065 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9066 (organization "What me?"))
9068 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9069 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9070 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9073 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9074 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9075 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9076 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9077 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9078 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9079 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9080 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9082 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9083 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9084 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9085 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9086 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9087 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9088 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9089 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9092 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9093 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9094 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9095 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9096 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9097 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9098 article. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated,
9099 and the result is thrown away.
9101 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9102 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9103 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9104 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9105 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9106 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9108 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9109 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9110 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9112 @findex message-mail-p
9113 @findex message-news-p
9115 So here's a new example:
9118 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9120 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9122 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9123 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9125 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9126 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9127 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9129 (signature my-news-signature))
9130 ((header "From.*To" "larsi.*org")
9131 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9132 ((posting-from-work-p)
9133 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9134 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9135 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9136 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9138 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9146 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9147 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9148 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9149 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9150 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9152 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9153 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9154 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9155 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9156 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9160 @vindex nndraft-directory
9161 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9162 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9163 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9164 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9165 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9166 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9168 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9169 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9172 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9173 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9174 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9175 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9176 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9177 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9178 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9179 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9180 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9181 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9182 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9183 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9184 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9185 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9187 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9188 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9189 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9191 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9193 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9194 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9195 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
9197 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
9200 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
9201 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
9202 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
9203 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
9204 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
9205 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
9206 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
9209 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
9210 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
9211 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
9214 @node Rejected Articles
9215 @section Rejected Articles
9216 @cindex rejected articles
9218 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
9219 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
9220 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
9221 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
9223 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
9224 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
9225 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
9226 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
9227 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
9229 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
9230 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
9231 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
9234 @node Select Methods
9235 @chapter Select Methods
9236 @cindex foreign groups
9237 @cindex select methods
9239 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
9240 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
9241 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
9242 personal mail group.
9244 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
9245 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
9246 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
9247 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
9248 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
9249 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
9251 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
9252 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
9254 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
9257 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
9258 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
9259 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
9260 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
9261 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
9263 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
9266 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
9267 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
9268 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
9269 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
9270 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
9271 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
9272 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
9276 @node The Server Buffer
9277 @section The Server Buffer
9279 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
9280 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
9281 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
9282 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
9283 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
9284 backend represents a virtual server.
9286 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
9287 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
9288 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
9289 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
9291 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
9292 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
9293 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
9294 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
9295 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
9296 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
9297 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
9299 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
9300 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
9303 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
9304 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
9305 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
9306 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
9307 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
9308 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
9309 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
9312 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
9313 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
9316 @node Server Buffer Format
9317 @subsection Server Buffer Format
9318 @cindex server buffer format
9320 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
9321 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
9322 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
9323 variable, with some simple extensions:
9328 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
9331 The name of this server.
9334 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
9337 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
9340 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
9341 The mode line can also be customized by using the
9342 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
9343 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
9353 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
9356 @node Server Commands
9357 @subsection Server Commands
9358 @cindex server commands
9364 @findex gnus-server-add-server
9365 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
9369 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
9370 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
9373 @kindex SPACE (Server)
9374 @findex gnus-server-read-server
9375 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
9379 @findex gnus-server-exit
9380 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
9384 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
9385 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
9389 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
9390 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
9394 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
9395 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
9399 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
9400 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
9404 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
9405 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
9406 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
9411 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
9412 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
9413 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
9414 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
9419 @node Example Methods
9420 @subsection Example Methods
9422 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
9425 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
9428 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
9434 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
9435 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
9438 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
9439 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
9441 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
9442 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
9446 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
9449 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
9450 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
9452 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
9453 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
9454 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
9458 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
9461 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
9464 Here's the method for a public spool:
9468 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
9469 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
9472 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
9473 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
9474 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
9475 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
9476 should probably look something like this:
9480 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
9481 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9482 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9483 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9484 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
9487 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
9488 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
9489 server that would look something like this:
9493 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
9494 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
9495 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9496 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9497 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9498 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
9501 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
9502 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
9503 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
9504 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
9507 @node Creating a Virtual Server
9508 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
9510 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
9511 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
9513 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
9514 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
9515 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
9517 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
9519 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
9520 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
9521 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
9522 will contain the following:
9532 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
9533 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
9534 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
9537 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
9538 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
9539 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
9542 @node Server Variables
9543 @subsection Server Variables
9545 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
9546 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
9547 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
9548 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
9549 won't change the "derived" variables.
9551 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
9552 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
9553 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
9554 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
9555 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
9556 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
9557 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
9558 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
9559 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
9563 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
9564 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
9565 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
9569 @node Servers and Methods
9570 @subsection Servers and Methods
9572 Wherever you would normally use a select method
9573 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
9574 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
9575 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
9579 @node Unavailable Servers
9580 @subsection Unavailable Servers
9582 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
9583 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
9584 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
9585 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
9586 actually the case or not.
9588 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
9589 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
9590 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
9591 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
9592 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
9593 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
9594 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
9595 it will regard that server as ``down''.
9597 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
9598 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
9600 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
9601 with the following commands:
9607 @findex gnus-server-open-server
9608 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
9609 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
9613 @findex gnus-server-close-server
9614 Close the connection (if any) to the server
9615 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
9619 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
9620 Mark the current server as unreachable
9621 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
9624 @kindex M-o (Server)
9625 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
9626 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
9627 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
9630 @kindex M-c (Server)
9631 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
9632 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
9633 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
9637 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
9638 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
9639 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
9645 @section Getting News
9646 @cindex reading news
9647 @cindex news backends
9649 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
9650 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
9651 or it can read from a local spool.
9654 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
9655 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
9660 @subsection @sc{nntp}
9663 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
9664 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
9665 server as the, uhm, address.
9667 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
9668 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
9669 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
9670 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9672 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
9673 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
9674 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
9676 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
9681 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
9682 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
9683 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
9685 @cindex authentification
9686 @cindex nntp authentification
9687 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9688 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
9689 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
9690 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
9691 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
9692 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
9693 present in this hook.
9695 @item nntp-authinfo-function
9696 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
9697 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9698 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
9699 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
9700 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
9701 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
9702 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
9703 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
9704 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
9705 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
9706 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
9710 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
9713 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
9714 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
9715 @samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
9716 @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
9717 @file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
9722 Here's an example file:
9725 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
9726 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
9729 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
9730 have to be first, for instance.
9732 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
9733 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
9734 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
9735 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
9736 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
9737 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
9738 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
9740 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
9741 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
9747 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
9748 previously mentioned.
9750 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
9752 @item nntp-server-action-alist
9753 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
9754 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
9755 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
9756 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
9759 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
9763 You probably don't want to do that, though.
9765 The default value is
9768 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
9769 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
9772 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
9773 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
9775 @item nntp-maximum-request
9776 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
9777 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
9778 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
9779 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
9780 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
9781 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
9782 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
9784 @item nntp-connection-timeout
9785 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
9786 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
9787 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
9788 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
9789 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
9790 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
9791 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
9792 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
9793 no timeouts are done.
9795 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
9796 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
9797 @c @cindex PPP connections
9798 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
9799 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
9800 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
9801 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
9802 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
9803 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
9804 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
9805 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
9806 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
9807 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
9809 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
9810 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
9811 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
9812 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
9815 @item nntp-server-hook
9816 @vindex nntp-server-hook
9817 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
9820 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
9821 @findex nntp-open-telnet
9822 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
9823 @item nntp-open-connection-function
9824 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
9825 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
9826 functions are supplied:
9829 @item nntp-open-network-stream
9830 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
9833 @item nntp-open-rlogin
9834 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
9835 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
9838 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
9842 @item nntp-rlogin-program
9843 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
9844 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
9845 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
9847 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
9848 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
9849 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
9851 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9852 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9853 User name on the remote system.
9857 @item nntp-open-telnet
9858 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
9859 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
9861 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
9864 @item nntp-telnet-command
9865 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
9866 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
9868 @item nntp-telnet-switches
9869 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
9870 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
9872 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
9873 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
9874 User name for log in on the remote system.
9876 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
9877 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
9878 Password to use when logging in.
9880 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
9881 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
9882 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
9885 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9886 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9887 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
9888 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
9890 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9891 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9892 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
9893 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
9894 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
9898 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
9899 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
9900 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
9901 you must have SSLay installed
9902 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
9903 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
9904 define a server as follows:
9907 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
9909 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
9911 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
9912 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
9913 (nntp-port-number "snews")
9914 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
9919 @item nntp-end-of-line
9920 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
9921 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
9922 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
9923 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
9925 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9926 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9927 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
9931 @vindex nntp-address
9932 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
9934 @item nntp-port-number
9935 @vindex nntp-port-number
9936 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
9939 @item nntp-buggy-select
9940 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
9941 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
9943 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
9944 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
9945 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
9946 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
9949 @item nntp-xover-commands
9950 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
9953 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
9954 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
9958 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
9959 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
9960 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
9961 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
9962 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
9963 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
9964 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
9965 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
9966 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
9967 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
9968 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
9970 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
9971 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
9972 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
9974 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9975 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9976 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
9977 server closes connection.
9979 @item nntp-record-commands
9980 @vindex nntp-record-commands
9981 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
9982 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
9983 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
9984 that doesn't seem to work.
9990 @subsection News Spool
9994 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
9995 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
9996 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
9999 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10000 anything else) as the address.
10002 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10003 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10004 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10005 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10009 @item nnspool-inews-program
10010 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10011 Program used to post an article.
10013 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10014 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10015 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10017 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10018 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10019 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10020 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10022 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10023 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10024 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10025 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10027 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10028 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10029 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10031 @item nnspool-active-file
10032 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10033 The path to the active file.
10035 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10036 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10037 The path to the group descriptions file.
10039 @item nnspool-history-file
10040 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10041 The path to the news history file.
10043 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10044 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10045 The path to the active date file.
10047 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10048 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10049 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10052 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10053 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10055 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10056 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10057 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10063 @section Getting Mail
10064 @cindex reading mail
10067 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10071 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10072 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10073 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10074 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10075 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10076 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10077 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10078 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10079 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10080 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10081 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10082 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10083 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10087 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10088 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10090 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10091 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10092 of a culture shock.
10094 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10095 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10097 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10098 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10099 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10100 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10102 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10104 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
10105 deleted? How awful!
10107 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
10108 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
10109 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
10110 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
10113 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
10114 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
10115 they want to treat a message.
10117 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
10118 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
10119 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
10120 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
10121 archived somewhere else.
10123 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
10124 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
10125 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
10126 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
10127 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
10129 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
10130 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
10131 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
10133 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
10134 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
10137 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
10138 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
10139 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
10140 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
10141 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
10143 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
10144 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
10145 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
10146 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
10147 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
10148 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
10152 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
10153 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
10155 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
10156 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
10157 and things will happen automatically.
10159 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
10160 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
10163 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
10164 '((nnml "private")))
10167 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
10168 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
10169 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
10170 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
10171 like any other group.
10173 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
10176 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10177 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10178 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10182 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
10183 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
10184 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
10187 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
10188 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
10189 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
10192 @node Splitting Mail
10193 @subsection Splitting Mail
10194 @cindex splitting mail
10195 @cindex mail splitting
10197 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
10198 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
10199 to be split into groups.
10202 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10203 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10204 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10205 ("mail.other" "")))
10208 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
10209 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
10210 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
10211 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
10212 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
10213 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
10214 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
10217 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
10220 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
10221 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
10222 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
10223 mail belongs in that group.
10225 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
10226 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
10227 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
10228 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
10229 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
10230 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
10232 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
10233 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
10234 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
10235 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
10236 thinks should carry this mail message.
10238 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
10239 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
10240 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
10241 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
10243 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
10244 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
10245 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
10246 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
10247 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
10249 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
10252 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
10253 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
10254 links. If that's the case for you, set
10255 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
10256 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
10258 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
10259 @kindex nnmail-split-history
10260 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
10261 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
10263 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
10264 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
10265 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
10266 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
10267 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
10268 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
10269 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
10270 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
10271 month's rent money.
10275 @subsection Mail Sources
10277 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
10278 POP mail server, or from a procmail directory, for instance.
10281 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
10282 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
10283 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
10287 @node Mail Source Specifiers
10288 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
10290 @cindex mail server
10293 @cindex mail source
10295 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
10296 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
10301 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
10304 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
10305 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
10306 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
10309 The following mail source types are available:
10313 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
10319 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
10320 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
10323 An example file mail source:
10326 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
10329 Or using the default path:
10335 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
10336 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
10337 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
10340 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
10344 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
10347 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
10351 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
10354 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
10356 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
10359 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
10363 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
10364 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
10370 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
10374 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
10378 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
10379 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
10380 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
10381 predicate are considered.
10385 Script run before/after fetching mail.
10389 An example directory mail source:
10392 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
10397 Get mail from a POP server.
10403 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
10404 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
10407 The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
10410 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
10414 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
10418 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
10419 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
10422 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
10425 The valid format specifier characters are:
10429 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
10430 included in this string.
10433 The name of the server.
10436 The port number of the server.
10439 The user name to use.
10442 The password to use.
10445 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
10446 corresponding keywords.
10449 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
10450 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
10453 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
10454 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
10457 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
10458 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
10461 @item :authentication
10462 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
10463 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
10468 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
10469 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
10471 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
10472 default user name, and default fetcher:
10478 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
10481 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
10482 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
10485 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
10488 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
10492 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox currently only
10493 supported by qmail, where each file in a special directory contains
10500 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
10501 @samp{~/Maildir/new}.
10503 If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
10504 them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
10505 @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the following example.
10509 An example maildir mail source:
10512 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/cur")
10516 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as intended,
10517 as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some reason or
10518 other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and fetches
10519 articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
10525 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
10526 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
10529 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
10530 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
10533 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
10537 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
10541 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
10542 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
10543 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
10545 @item :authenticator
10546 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
10547 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this means
10548 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
10552 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
10553 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
10556 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default,
10557 @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people,
10558 but if you sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark
10559 some articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to
10560 @samp{nil}. Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter
10561 what. For a complete list of predicates, see RFC2060 §6.4.4.
10564 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
10565 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
10566 would simply mark them as read. Theese are the two most likely choices,
10567 but more flags are defined in RFC2060 §2.3.2.
10570 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
10571 after finishing the fetch.
10575 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
10578 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4)
10582 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
10583 mail.yahoo.com, and www.netaddress.com.
10585 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on w3 (url) package, whose version of "WWW
10586 4.0pre.46 1999/10/01" or previous ones may not work.
10588 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
10594 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
10595 alternatives are @code{yahoo}, @code{netaddress}.
10598 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
10602 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
10607 An example webmail source:
10610 (webmail :subtype 'yahoo :user "user-name" :password "secret")
10615 @node Mail Source Customization
10616 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
10618 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
10619 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
10623 @item mail-source-crash-box
10624 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
10625 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
10626 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
10628 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
10629 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
10630 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
10632 @item mail-source-directory
10633 @vindex mail-source-directory
10634 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
10635 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
10636 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
10639 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
10640 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
10641 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
10646 @node Fetching Mail
10647 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
10649 @vindex mail-sources
10650 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
10651 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
10652 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
10653 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
10655 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
10656 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
10659 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
10660 mail server, you'd say something like:
10665 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10666 :password "secret")))
10669 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
10673 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
10674 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10677 :password "secret")))
10681 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
10682 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
10683 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
10684 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
10685 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
10686 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
10690 @node Mail Backend Variables
10691 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
10693 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
10697 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10698 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10699 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
10700 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
10702 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
10703 @item nnmail-split-hook
10704 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
10705 @findex RFC1522 decoding
10706 @findex RFC2047 decoding
10707 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
10708 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
10709 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
10710 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
10711 in the buffer will show up in any files.
10712 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
10715 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10716 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10717 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10718 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10719 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
10720 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
10721 starting to handle the new mail) and
10722 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
10723 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
10724 default file modes the new mail files get:
10727 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10728 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
10730 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
10731 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
10734 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
10735 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
10736 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
10737 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
10738 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
10739 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
10740 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
10742 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
10743 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
10744 @findex delete-file
10745 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
10747 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10748 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10749 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
10750 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
10751 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
10756 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
10757 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
10758 @cindex mail splitting
10759 @cindex fancy mail splitting
10761 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
10762 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
10763 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
10764 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
10765 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
10766 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
10768 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
10771 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
10772 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
10773 ;; from real errors.
10774 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
10776 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
10777 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
10778 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
10779 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
10780 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
10781 ;; Other mailing lists...
10782 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
10783 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
10784 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
10785 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
10786 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
10787 ;; message was really cross-posted.
10788 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
10789 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
10791 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
10792 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
10796 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
10797 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
10798 the five possible split syntaxes:
10803 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
10804 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
10808 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict} @code{[-} @var{restrict} @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]]}
10809 @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the first element of which is a
10810 string, then store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header
10811 @var{field} (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If
10812 @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
10813 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
10814 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
10815 @var{split} is processed.
10818 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10819 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
10820 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
10821 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
10824 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10825 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
10828 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
10829 this message. Use with extreme caution.
10832 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
10833 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
10834 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
10835 function should return a @var{split}.
10838 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10839 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
10840 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
10844 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
10848 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
10849 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
10850 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
10851 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
10852 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
10854 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
10855 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
10856 are expanded as specified by the variable
10857 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
10858 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
10861 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
10862 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
10863 when all this splitting is performed.
10865 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
10866 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
10867 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
10870 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
10873 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
10874 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
10876 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
10877 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
10878 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
10879 groupings 1 through 9.
10882 @node Group Mail Splitting
10883 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
10884 @cindex mail splitting
10885 @cindex group mail splitting
10887 @findex gnus-group-split
10888 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
10889 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
10890 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
10891 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
10892 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
10893 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
10894 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
10895 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
10897 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
10898 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
10899 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
10900 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
10902 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
10903 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
10904 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
10905 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
10906 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
10907 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
10908 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
10910 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
10911 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
10912 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
10913 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
10914 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
10915 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
10916 @code{gnus-group-split}.
10918 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
10919 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
10920 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
10921 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
10922 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
10923 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
10924 that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
10925 there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
10926 @code{&} split and the catch-all group.
10928 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
10933 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
10934 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
10936 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
10937 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
10938 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
10939 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
10941 ((split-spec . catch-all))
10944 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
10945 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
10946 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
10949 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
10950 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
10951 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
10955 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
10956 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
10957 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
10961 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
10964 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
10965 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
10966 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
10967 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
10968 of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
10969 @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
10970 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
10971 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
10972 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
10974 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
10975 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
10976 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
10977 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
10978 used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
10979 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
10980 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
10981 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
10982 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
10984 @findex gnus-group-split-update
10985 However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
10986 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
10987 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
10988 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
10989 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
10992 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
10995 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
10996 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
10997 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
10998 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
10999 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
11002 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
11003 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
11004 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
11005 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
11007 @node Incorporating Old Mail
11008 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
11010 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
11011 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
11012 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
11015 Doing so can be quite easy.
11017 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
11018 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
11019 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
11020 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
11021 your @code{nnml} groups.
11027 Go to the group buffer.
11030 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
11031 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11034 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
11037 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
11038 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11041 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
11042 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
11045 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
11046 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
11047 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
11048 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
11049 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
11051 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
11052 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
11053 using the new mail backend.
11056 @node Expiring Mail
11057 @subsection Expiring Mail
11058 @cindex article expiry
11060 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
11061 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
11062 different approach to mail reading.
11064 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
11065 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
11066 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
11067 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
11068 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
11069 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
11072 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
11073 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
11074 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
11075 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
11076 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
11077 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
11078 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
11079 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
11081 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11082 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
11083 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
11084 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
11085 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
11086 column in the summary buffer.
11088 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
11089 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
11090 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
11091 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
11094 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
11096 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
11097 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
11098 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
11101 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
11102 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
11103 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
11104 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
11105 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
11107 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
11108 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
11111 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11112 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
11115 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
11116 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
11118 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
11119 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
11120 don't really mix very well.
11122 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
11123 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
11124 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
11125 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
11128 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
11129 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
11130 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
11131 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
11134 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11136 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11138 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
11140 ((string= group "mail.junk")
11142 ((string= group "important")
11148 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
11149 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
11151 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
11152 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
11153 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
11156 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
11157 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
11159 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
11160 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
11161 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
11162 easier for procmail users.
11164 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
11165 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
11166 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
11167 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
11168 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
11169 caution. Even more dangerous is the
11170 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
11171 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
11172 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
11173 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
11174 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
11175 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
11176 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
11179 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
11181 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
11182 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
11183 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
11184 auto-expire turned on.
11188 @subsection Washing Mail
11189 @cindex mail washing
11190 @cindex list server brain damage
11191 @cindex incoming mail treatment
11193 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
11194 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
11195 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
11196 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
11197 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
11198 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
11200 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
11201 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
11202 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
11205 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
11206 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
11207 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
11208 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
11211 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11212 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11213 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
11214 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
11215 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
11218 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11219 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11220 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
11221 Emacs running on MS machines.
11225 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11226 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11227 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
11228 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
11231 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11232 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11233 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
11234 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
11236 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11237 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11238 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
11239 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
11240 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
11241 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
11242 also be a list of regexp.
11244 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
11245 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
11248 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
11249 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
11252 This can also be done non-destructively with
11253 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
11255 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
11256 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
11257 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
11259 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11260 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11262 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
11263 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
11264 @code{References} headers.
11268 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11269 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11270 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
11274 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
11275 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
11276 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
11283 @subsection Duplicates
11285 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
11286 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
11287 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
11288 @cindex duplicate mails
11289 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
11290 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
11291 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
11292 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
11293 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
11294 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
11295 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
11296 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
11297 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
11298 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
11299 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
11300 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
11301 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
11303 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
11304 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
11305 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
11306 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
11308 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
11311 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
11312 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
11316 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
11317 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
11318 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
11319 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
11320 (any mail "mail.misc")
11327 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11328 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
11333 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
11334 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
11335 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
11336 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
11337 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
11340 @node Not Reading Mail
11341 @subsection Not Reading Mail
11343 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
11344 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
11345 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
11347 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
11348 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
11349 mail, which should help.
11351 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11352 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
11353 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
11354 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
11355 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
11356 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
11357 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
11358 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
11359 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
11360 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
11361 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
11363 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
11364 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
11368 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
11369 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
11371 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
11372 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
11373 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
11375 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
11376 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
11377 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
11378 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
11381 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
11382 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
11383 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
11384 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
11385 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
11386 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
11390 @node Unix Mail Box
11391 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
11393 @cindex unix mail box
11395 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
11396 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
11397 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
11398 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
11399 which group it belongs in.
11401 Virtual server settings:
11404 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
11405 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
11406 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
11408 @item nnmbox-active-file
11409 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
11410 The name of the active file for the mail box.
11412 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
11413 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
11414 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
11420 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
11424 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
11425 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
11426 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
11427 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
11428 article to say which group it belongs in.
11430 Virtual server settings:
11433 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
11434 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
11435 The name of the rmail mbox file.
11437 @item nnbabyl-active-file
11438 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
11439 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
11441 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11442 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11443 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
11448 @subsubsection Mail Spool
11450 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
11452 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
11453 format. It should be used with some caution.
11455 @vindex nnml-directory
11456 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
11457 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
11458 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
11459 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
11461 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
11464 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
11465 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
11466 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
11467 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
11468 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
11469 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
11470 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
11471 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
11473 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
11474 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
11475 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
11476 backend when it comes to reading mail.
11478 Virtual server settings:
11481 @item nnml-directory
11482 @vindex nnml-directory
11483 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
11485 @item nnml-active-file
11486 @vindex nnml-active-file
11487 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
11489 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
11490 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
11491 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
11494 @item nnml-get-new-mail
11495 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
11496 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
11498 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
11499 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
11500 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
11502 @item nnml-nov-file-name
11503 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
11504 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
11506 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
11507 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
11508 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
11512 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
11513 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
11514 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
11515 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
11516 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
11517 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
11518 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
11523 @subsubsection MH Spool
11525 @cindex mh-e mail spool
11527 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
11528 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
11529 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
11530 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
11532 Virtual server settings:
11535 @item nnmh-directory
11536 @vindex nnmh-directory
11537 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
11539 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
11540 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
11541 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
11544 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
11545 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
11546 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
11547 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
11548 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
11549 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
11550 to set this variable to @code{t}.
11555 @subsubsection Mail Folders
11557 @cindex mbox folders
11558 @cindex mail folders
11560 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
11561 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
11562 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
11565 Virtual server settings:
11568 @item nnfolder-directory
11569 @vindex nnfolder-directory
11570 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
11572 @item nnfolder-active-file
11573 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
11574 The name of the active file.
11576 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
11577 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
11578 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
11580 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
11581 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
11582 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
11584 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
11585 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
11586 @cindex backup files
11587 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
11588 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
11589 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
11590 your @file{.emacs} file:
11593 (defun turn-off-backup ()
11594 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
11596 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
11599 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
11600 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
11601 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
11602 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
11603 extract some information from it before removing it.
11608 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
11609 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
11610 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
11611 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
11612 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
11613 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
11616 @node Comparing Mail Backends
11617 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
11619 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
11620 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
11621 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
11622 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
11623 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
11625 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
11626 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
11627 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
11628 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
11629 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
11630 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
11631 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
11632 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
11635 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
11636 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
11637 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
11638 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
11643 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
11644 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
11645 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
11646 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
11647 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
11648 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
11649 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
11650 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
11651 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
11652 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
11653 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
11654 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
11655 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
11660 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
11661 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
11662 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
11663 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
11664 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
11665 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
11666 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
11667 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
11668 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
11669 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
11670 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
11671 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
11672 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
11673 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
11675 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
11676 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
11681 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
11682 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
11683 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
11684 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
11685 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
11686 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
11687 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
11688 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
11689 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
11690 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
11691 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
11692 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
11693 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
11694 provided by the active file and overviews.
11696 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
11697 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
11698 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
11699 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
11700 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
11703 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
11704 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
11709 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
11710 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
11711 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
11712 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
11713 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
11714 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
11715 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
11719 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
11720 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
11721 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
11722 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
11723 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
11724 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
11725 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
11726 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
11727 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
11729 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
11730 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
11731 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
11732 friendly mail backend all over.
11737 @node Browsing the Web
11738 @section Browsing the Web
11740 @cindex browsing the web
11744 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
11745 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
11746 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
11747 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
11748 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
11749 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
11750 even know what a news group is.
11752 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
11753 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
11754 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
11755 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
11756 you mad in the end.
11758 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
11761 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
11762 interfaces to these sources.
11765 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
11766 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
11767 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
11768 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
11771 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
11772 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
11773 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
11774 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
11775 though, you should be ok.
11777 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
11778 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
11779 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
11780 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
11781 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
11785 @subsection Web Searches
11789 @cindex InReference
11790 @cindex Usenet searches
11791 @cindex searching the Usenet
11793 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
11794 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
11795 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
11796 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
11797 searches without having to use a browser.
11799 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
11800 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
11801 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
11802 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
11803 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
11805 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
11806 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
11807 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
11808 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
11809 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
11810 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
11811 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
11812 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
11813 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
11814 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
11817 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
11818 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
11819 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
11820 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
11821 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
11822 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
11824 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
11825 to use @code{nnweb}.
11827 Virtual server variables:
11832 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
11833 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
11837 @vindex nnweb-search
11838 The search string to feed to the search engine.
11840 @item nnweb-max-hits
11841 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
11842 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
11845 @item nnweb-type-definition
11846 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
11847 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
11848 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
11853 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
11857 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
11860 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
11863 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
11867 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
11874 @subsection Slashdot
11878 Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
11879 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
11880 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
11882 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
11883 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
11886 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11887 '((nnslashdot "")))
11890 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
11891 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
11892 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
11893 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
11894 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
11897 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
11898 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
11899 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
11900 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
11901 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
11902 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
11905 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
11908 @item nnslashdot-threaded
11909 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
11910 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
11911 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
11912 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
11913 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
11914 but much, much slower than untreaded.
11916 @item nnslashdot-login-name
11917 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
11918 The login name to use when posting.
11920 @item nnslashdot-password
11921 @vindex nnslashdot-password
11922 The password to use when posting.
11924 @item nnslashdot-directory
11925 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
11926 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
11927 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
11929 @item nnslashdot-active-url
11930 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
11931 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
11932 news articles and comments. The default is
11933 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
11935 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
11936 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
11937 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
11939 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
11941 @item nnslashdot-article-url
11942 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
11943 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
11945 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
11947 @item nnslashdot-threshold
11948 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
11949 The score threshold. The default is -1.
11951 @item nnslashdot-group-number
11952 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
11953 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
11954 updated. The default is 0.
11961 @subsection Ultimate
11963 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
11965 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
11966 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
11967 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
11968 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
11970 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
11971 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
11972 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
11973 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
11974 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
11975 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
11976 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
11978 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
11981 @item nnultimate-directory
11982 @vindex nnultimate-directory
11983 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
11984 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
11988 @subsection Web Archive
11990 @cindex Web Archive
11992 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
11993 (@file{http://www.egroups.com/}). It has a quite regular and nice
11994 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
11997 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
11998 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
11999 gnus-group-make-nnwarchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
12000 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
12001 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
12002 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.)
12004 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
12007 @item nnwarchive-directory
12008 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
12009 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
12010 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
12012 @item nnwarchive-login
12013 @vindex nnwarchive-login
12014 The account name on the web server.
12016 @item nnwarchive-passwd
12017 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
12018 The password for your account on the web server.
12021 @node Other Sources
12022 @section Other Sources
12024 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
12025 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
12029 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
12030 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
12031 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
12032 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
12033 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
12034 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
12038 @node Directory Groups
12039 @subsection Directory Groups
12041 @cindex directory groups
12043 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
12044 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
12047 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
12048 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
12049 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
12050 backend to read directories. Big deal.
12052 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
12053 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
12054 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
12055 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
12056 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
12058 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
12060 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
12061 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
12062 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
12063 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
12066 @node Anything Groups
12067 @subsection Anything Groups
12070 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
12071 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
12072 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
12075 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
12076 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
12077 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
12078 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
12079 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
12080 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
12081 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
12082 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
12083 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
12084 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
12087 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
12088 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
12089 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
12090 in the article buffer, just as usual.
12092 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
12093 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
12094 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
12095 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
12097 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
12098 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
12099 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
12100 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
12101 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
12102 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
12103 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
12104 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
12109 @item nneething-map-file-directory
12110 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
12111 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
12112 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
12114 @item nneething-exclude-files
12115 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
12116 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
12117 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
12119 @item nneething-include-files
12120 @vindex nneething-include-files
12121 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
12122 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
12124 @item nneething-map-file
12125 @vindex nneething-map-file
12126 Name of the map files.
12130 @node Document Groups
12131 @subsection Document Groups
12133 @cindex documentation group
12136 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
12137 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
12144 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
12149 The standard Unix mbox file.
12151 @cindex MMDF mail box
12153 The MMDF mail box format.
12156 Several news articles appended into a file.
12159 @cindex rnews batch files
12160 The rnews batch transport format.
12161 @cindex forwarded messages
12164 Forwarded articles.
12167 Netscape mail boxes.
12170 MIME multipart messages.
12172 @item standard-digest
12173 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
12176 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
12179 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
12180 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
12181 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
12184 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
12185 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
12186 group. And that's it.
12188 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
12189 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
12190 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
12191 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
12192 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
12193 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
12194 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
12195 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
12196 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
12197 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
12199 Virtual server variables:
12202 @item nndoc-article-type
12203 @vindex nndoc-article-type
12204 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
12205 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
12206 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
12207 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
12209 @item nndoc-post-type
12210 @vindex nndoc-post-type
12211 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
12212 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
12217 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
12221 @node Document Server Internals
12222 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
12224 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
12225 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
12226 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
12227 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
12229 First, here's an example document type definition:
12233 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
12234 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
12237 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
12238 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
12239 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
12240 types can be defined with very few settings:
12243 @item first-article
12244 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
12245 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
12248 @item article-begin
12249 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
12250 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
12252 @item head-begin-function
12253 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
12256 @item nndoc-head-begin
12257 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
12260 @item nndoc-head-end
12261 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
12262 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
12264 @item body-begin-function
12265 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
12269 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
12272 @item body-end-function
12273 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
12277 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
12280 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
12281 regexp will be totally ignored.
12285 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
12286 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
12287 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
12288 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
12289 something that's palatable for Gnus:
12292 @item prepare-body-function
12293 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
12294 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
12295 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
12297 @item article-transform-function
12298 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
12299 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
12300 body of the article.
12302 @item generate-head-function
12303 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
12304 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
12305 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
12306 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
12310 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
12315 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
12316 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
12317 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
12318 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
12319 (head-end . "^ ?$")
12320 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
12321 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
12322 (subtype digest guess))
12325 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
12326 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
12327 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
12328 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
12329 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
12331 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
12332 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
12333 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
12334 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
12335 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
12336 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
12337 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
12338 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
12339 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
12340 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
12348 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
12349 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
12350 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
12352 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
12353 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
12354 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
12357 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
12358 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
12359 that interested in doing things properly.
12361 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
12362 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
12365 First some terminology:
12370 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
12371 get news and/or mail from.
12374 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
12375 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
12378 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
12382 @item message packets
12383 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
12384 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
12385 default, where @var{x} is a number.
12387 @item response packets
12388 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
12389 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
12390 default, where @var{x} is a number.
12400 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
12401 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
12402 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
12403 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
12406 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
12409 You put the packet in your home directory.
12412 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
12413 the native or secondary server.
12416 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
12417 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
12420 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
12424 You transfer this packet to the server.
12427 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
12430 You then repeat until you die.
12434 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
12435 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
12438 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
12439 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
12440 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
12444 @node SOUP Commands
12445 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
12447 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
12451 @kindex G s b (Group)
12452 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
12453 Pack all unread articles in the current group
12454 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
12455 process/prefix convention.
12458 @kindex G s w (Group)
12459 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
12460 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
12463 @kindex G s s (Group)
12464 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
12465 Send all replies from the replies packet
12466 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
12469 @kindex G s p (Group)
12470 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
12471 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
12474 @kindex G s r (Group)
12475 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
12476 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
12479 @kindex O s (Summary)
12480 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
12481 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
12482 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
12483 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
12488 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
12493 @item gnus-soup-directory
12494 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
12495 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
12496 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
12498 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
12499 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
12500 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
12501 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
12503 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
12504 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
12505 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
12506 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
12508 @item gnus-soup-packer
12509 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
12510 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
12511 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
12513 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
12514 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
12515 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
12516 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
12518 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
12519 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
12520 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
12522 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
12523 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
12524 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
12525 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
12531 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
12534 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
12535 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
12536 you can read them at leisure.
12538 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
12542 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
12543 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
12544 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
12545 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
12547 @item nnsoup-directory
12548 @vindex nnsoup-directory
12549 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
12550 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
12552 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
12553 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
12554 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
12555 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
12557 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
12558 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
12559 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
12560 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
12561 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
12563 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
12564 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
12565 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
12566 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
12568 @item nnsoup-active-file
12569 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
12570 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
12571 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
12572 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
12573 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
12575 @item nnsoup-packer
12576 @vindex nnsoup-packer
12577 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
12578 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
12580 @item nnsoup-unpacker
12581 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
12582 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
12583 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
12585 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
12586 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
12587 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
12590 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
12591 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
12592 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
12595 @item nnsoup-always-save
12596 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
12597 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
12603 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
12605 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
12606 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
12607 more for that to happen.
12609 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
12610 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
12611 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
12614 In specific, this is what it does:
12617 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
12618 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
12621 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
12622 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
12623 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
12626 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
12627 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
12628 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
12631 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
12632 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
12633 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
12635 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
12641 @item nngateway-address
12642 @vindex nngateway-address
12643 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
12645 @item nngateway-header-transformation
12646 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
12647 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
12648 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
12649 transformation should be called, and defaults to
12650 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
12651 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
12654 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
12655 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
12656 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
12659 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
12662 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
12665 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
12668 The following pre-defined functions exist:
12670 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
12673 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
12674 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
12675 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
12677 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
12679 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
12680 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
12681 @code{nngateway-address}.
12686 (setq gnus-post-method
12687 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
12688 (nngateway-header-transformation
12689 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
12697 So, to use this, simply say something like:
12700 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
12706 @subsection @sc{imap}
12710 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...), think of
12711 it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server is much similar to
12712 connecting to a news server, you just specify the network address of the
12715 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
12720 @item nnimap-address
12721 @vindex nnimap-address
12723 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual server
12724 name if not specified.
12726 @item nnimap-server-port
12727 @vindex nnimap-server-port
12728 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
12730 @item nnimap-list-pattern
12731 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
12732 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups
12733 to. This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
12734 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via @sc{imap},
12735 you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in @file{~/Mail/*}
12738 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
12739 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
12740 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
12746 ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
12749 @item nnimap-stream
12750 @vindex nnimap-stream
12751 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
12752 will use the most secure stream your server is capable of.
12756 @dfn{kerberos4:} Uses the `imtest' program.
12758 @dfn{ssl:} Uses OpenSSL or SSLeay.
12760 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
12763 @item nnimap-authenticator
12764 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
12766 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap will
12767 use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
12771 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication.
12773 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
12775 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
12777 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
12780 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
12782 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
12783 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
12784 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has this
12785 concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually delete
12786 them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what nnimap
12787 does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or similair).
12789 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
12790 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
12791 running in circles yet?
12793 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
12794 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
12797 The possible options are:
12802 The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
12805 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing the
12806 articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients may allow
12807 you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command manually,
12808 @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
12810 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
12817 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
12818 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
12819 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
12824 @node Splitting in IMAP
12825 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
12826 @cindex splitting imap mail
12828 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
12829 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many @sc{imap}
12830 server has server side splitting and those that have splitting seem to
12831 use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap} support for Gnus
12832 has to do it's own splitting.
12836 There are three variables of interest:
12840 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
12841 @cindex splitting, crosspost
12843 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
12845 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
12846 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
12848 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
12850 @item nnimap-split-inbox
12851 @cindex splitting, inbox
12853 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
12855 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap} mailboxes
12856 to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is disabled!
12859 (setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
12862 No nnmail equivalent.
12864 @item nnimap-split-rule
12865 @cindex Splitting, rules
12866 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
12868 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
12871 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
12872 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles matching the
12873 regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that? Neither did I, we
12877 (setq nnimap-split-rule
12878 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
12879 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
12880 ("INBOX.private" "")))
12883 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
12884 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
12885 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
12887 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
12888 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
12892 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
12895 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12896 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
12897 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
12898 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
12900 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
12901 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
12902 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
12903 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
12904 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
12905 them every time you fetch new mail.)
12907 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
12908 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
12909 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
12911 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
12913 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
12917 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
12918 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
12919 @cindex editing imap acls
12920 @cindex Access Control Lists
12921 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
12923 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
12925 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for limiting
12926 (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all @sc{imap}
12927 servers support this, this function will give an error if it doesn't.
12929 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
12930 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
12931 editing window with detailed instructions.
12933 Some possible uses:
12937 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
12938 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
12939 follow the list without subscribing to it.
12941 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
12942 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
12943 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
12947 @node Expunging mailboxes
12948 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
12952 @cindex Manual expunging
12954 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
12956 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
12957 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
12958 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
12960 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
12965 @node Combined Groups
12966 @section Combined Groups
12968 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
12972 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
12973 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
12977 @node Virtual Groups
12978 @subsection Virtual Groups
12980 @cindex virtual groups
12981 @cindex merging groups
12983 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
12986 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
12987 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
12988 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
12990 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
12991 regexp to match component groups.
12993 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
12994 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
12995 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
12996 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
12997 the virtual group.)
12999 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
13000 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
13003 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
13006 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
13007 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
13009 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
13010 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
13011 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
13012 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
13015 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
13018 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
13019 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
13020 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
13022 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
13023 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
13024 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
13025 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
13026 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
13028 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
13029 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
13030 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
13032 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
13033 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
13034 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
13035 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13036 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
13037 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
13038 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
13039 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
13040 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
13041 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
13042 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
13044 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
13045 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
13046 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
13047 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
13048 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
13049 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
13050 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
13052 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
13053 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
13057 @node Kibozed Groups
13058 @subsection Kibozed Groups
13062 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
13063 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
13064 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
13065 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
13067 @kindex G k (Group)
13068 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
13071 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
13072 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
13073 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
13074 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
13076 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
13077 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
13078 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
13080 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
13081 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
13082 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
13083 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
13084 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
13085 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
13086 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
13087 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
13089 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
13090 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
13091 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
13092 Stranger things have happened.
13094 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
13095 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
13097 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
13098 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
13099 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
13100 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
13101 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
13102 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
13104 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
13105 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
13108 @node Gnus Unplugged
13109 @section Gnus Unplugged
13114 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
13116 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
13117 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
13118 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
13119 read news. Believe it or not.
13121 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
13122 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
13123 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
13124 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
13125 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
13127 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
13128 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
13129 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
13130 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
13131 reading news on a machine.
13133 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
13137 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
13138 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
13142 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
13143 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13150 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
13152 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
13155 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
13156 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
13157 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
13158 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
13159 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
13160 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
13161 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
13162 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
13163 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
13168 @subsection Agent Basics
13170 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
13172 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
13173 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
13174 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
13175 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
13177 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
13178 connected to the net continuously.
13180 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
13181 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
13183 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
13188 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
13189 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
13190 already fetched while in this mode.
13193 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
13194 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
13195 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
13198 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
13199 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
13200 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
13201 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
13204 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
13205 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
13206 then you read the news offline.
13209 And then you go to step 2.
13212 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
13218 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
13219 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
13220 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
13221 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
13222 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
13223 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
13226 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
13233 @node Agent Categories
13234 @subsection Agent Categories
13236 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
13237 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
13238 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
13239 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
13240 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
13241 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
13242 you're interested in the articles anyway.
13244 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
13245 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
13246 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
13247 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
13248 managing categories.
13251 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
13252 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
13253 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
13257 @node Category Syntax
13258 @subsubsection Category Syntax
13260 A category consists of two things.
13264 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
13265 are eligible for downloading; and
13268 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
13269 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
13270 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
13273 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
13274 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
13275 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
13276 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
13278 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
13279 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
13280 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
13282 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
13283 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
13284 operators sprinkled in between.
13286 Perhaps some examples are in order.
13288 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
13289 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
13295 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
13296 short (for some value of ``short'').
13298 Here's a more complex predicate:
13307 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
13308 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
13311 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
13312 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
13313 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
13315 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
13316 you want to do, you can write your own.
13320 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
13321 lines; default 100.
13324 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
13325 lines; default 200.
13328 True iff the article has a download score less than
13329 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
13332 True iff the article has a download score greater than
13333 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
13336 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
13337 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
13338 checksum and sees whether articles match.
13347 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
13348 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
13349 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
13352 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
13353 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
13354 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
13355 something along the lines of the following:
13358 (defun my-article-old-p ()
13359 "Say whether an article is old."
13360 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
13361 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
13364 with the predicate then defined as:
13367 (not my-article-old-p)
13370 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
13371 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
13372 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
13373 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
13376 (defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
13377 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
13378 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
13381 and simply specify your predicate as:
13387 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
13388 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
13389 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
13390 just don't give a damm.
13393 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
13394 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
13395 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
13396 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
13397 parameters like so:
13400 (agent-predicate . short)
13403 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category
13404 default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this,
13405 the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair
13408 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
13411 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
13414 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
13415 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
13416 predicate is assumed to be a list.
13419 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
13420 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
13421 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
13422 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
13423 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
13424 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
13426 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
13427 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
13428 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
13429 if it's to be specific to that group.
13431 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
13438 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
13439 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
13445 Category specification
13449 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
13455 Group Parameter specification
13458 (agent-score ("from"
13459 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
13464 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
13470 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
13477 Category specification
13480 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
13486 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
13490 Group Parameter specification
13493 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
13496 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
13501 Use @code{normal} score files
13503 If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
13504 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
13505 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
13506 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
13508 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
13509 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
13510 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
13511 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
13515 Category Specification
13522 Group Parameter specification
13525 (agent-score . file)
13530 @node The Category Buffer
13531 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
13533 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
13534 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
13535 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
13537 The following commands are available in this buffer:
13541 @kindex q (Category)
13542 @findex gnus-category-exit
13543 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
13546 @kindex k (Category)
13547 @findex gnus-category-kill
13548 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
13551 @kindex c (Category)
13552 @findex gnus-category-copy
13553 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
13556 @kindex a (Category)
13557 @findex gnus-category-add
13558 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
13561 @kindex p (Category)
13562 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
13563 Edit the predicate of the current category
13564 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
13567 @kindex g (Category)
13568 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
13569 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
13570 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
13573 @kindex s (Category)
13574 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
13575 Edit the download score rule of the current category
13576 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
13579 @kindex l (Category)
13580 @findex gnus-category-list
13581 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
13585 @node Category Variables
13586 @subsubsection Category Variables
13589 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
13590 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
13591 Hook run in category buffers.
13593 @item gnus-category-line-format
13594 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
13595 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
13596 Variables}). Valid elements are:
13600 The name of the category.
13603 The number of groups in the category.
13606 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
13607 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
13608 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
13610 @item gnus-agent-short-article
13611 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
13612 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
13614 @item gnus-agent-long-article
13615 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
13616 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
13618 @item gnus-agent-low-score
13619 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
13620 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
13623 @item gnus-agent-high-score
13624 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
13625 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
13631 @node Agent Commands
13632 @subsection Agent Commands
13634 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
13635 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
13636 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
13640 * Group Agent Commands::
13641 * Summary Agent Commands::
13642 * Server Agent Commands::
13645 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
13646 following incantation:
13648 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
13650 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
13655 @node Group Agent Commands
13656 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
13660 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
13661 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
13662 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
13663 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
13666 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
13667 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
13668 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
13671 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
13672 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
13673 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
13674 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
13677 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
13678 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
13679 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
13680 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
13683 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
13684 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
13685 Add the current group to an Agent category
13686 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
13687 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13690 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
13691 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
13692 Remove the current group from its category, if any
13693 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
13694 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13699 @node Summary Agent Commands
13700 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
13704 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
13705 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
13706 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
13709 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
13710 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
13711 Remove the downloading mark from the article
13712 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
13715 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
13716 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
13717 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
13720 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
13721 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
13722 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
13727 @node Server Agent Commands
13728 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
13732 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
13733 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
13734 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
13735 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
13738 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
13739 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
13740 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
13741 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
13747 @subsection Agent Expiry
13749 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
13750 @findex gnus-agent-expire
13751 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
13752 @cindex Agent expiry
13753 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
13756 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
13757 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
13758 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
13759 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
13760 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
13761 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
13763 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
13764 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
13765 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
13766 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
13767 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
13770 @node Outgoing Messages
13771 @subsection Outgoing Messages
13773 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
13774 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
13775 after posting, and edit them at will.
13777 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
13778 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
13779 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
13780 messages in the draft group.
13784 @node Agent Variables
13785 @subsection Agent Variables
13788 @item gnus-agent-directory
13789 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
13790 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
13791 @file{~/News/agent/}.
13793 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
13794 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
13795 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
13796 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
13797 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
13800 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
13801 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
13802 Hook run when connecting to the network.
13804 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
13805 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
13806 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
13811 @node Example Setup
13812 @subsection Example Setup
13814 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
13815 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
13816 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
13819 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
13820 ;;; from your ISP's server.
13821 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
13823 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
13824 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
13825 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
13827 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
13828 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13830 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
13834 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
13835 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
13838 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
13839 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
13840 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
13841 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
13842 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
13845 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
13846 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
13847 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
13848 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
13849 back all the killed groups.)
13851 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
13852 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
13853 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
13856 @node Batching Agents
13857 @subsection Batching Agents
13859 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
13860 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
13861 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
13865 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
13869 @node Agent Caveats
13870 @subsection Agent Caveats
13872 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
13873 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
13877 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
13882 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
13883 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
13889 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
13890 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
13897 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
13898 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
13899 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
13902 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
13903 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
13904 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
13905 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
13906 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
13908 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
13909 before generating the summary buffer.
13911 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
13912 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
13913 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
13915 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
13916 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
13917 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
13918 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
13921 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
13922 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
13923 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
13924 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
13925 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
13926 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
13927 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
13928 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
13929 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
13930 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
13931 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
13932 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
13933 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
13934 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
13935 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
13936 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
13940 @node Summary Score Commands
13941 @section Summary Score Commands
13942 @cindex score commands
13944 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
13945 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
13946 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
13947 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
13948 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
13950 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
13951 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
13952 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
13953 score file the current one.
13955 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
13960 @kindex V s (Summary)
13961 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
13962 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
13965 @kindex V S (Summary)
13966 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
13967 Display the score of the current article
13968 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
13971 @kindex V t (Summary)
13972 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
13973 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
13974 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
13977 @kindex V R (Summary)
13978 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
13979 Run the current summary through the scoring process
13980 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
13981 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
13982 effect you're having.
13985 @kindex V c (Summary)
13986 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
13987 Make a different score file the current
13988 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
13991 @kindex V e (Summary)
13992 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
13993 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
13994 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
13998 @kindex V f (Summary)
13999 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
14000 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
14001 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
14004 @kindex V F (Summary)
14005 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
14006 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
14007 after editing score files.
14010 @kindex V C (Summary)
14011 @findex gnus-score-customize
14012 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
14013 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
14017 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
14022 @kindex V m (Summary)
14023 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
14024 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
14025 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
14028 @kindex V x (Summary)
14029 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
14030 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
14031 expunge all articles below this score
14032 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
14035 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
14036 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
14039 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
14040 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
14044 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
14045 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
14047 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
14048 keys are available:
14052 Score on the author name.
14055 Score on the subject line.
14058 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
14061 Score on the @code{References} line.
14067 Score on the number of lines.
14070 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
14073 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
14074 the followups to this author.
14088 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
14089 what headers you are scoring on.
14101 Substring matching.
14104 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
14133 Greater than number.
14138 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
14139 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
14140 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
14144 Temporary score entry.
14147 Permanent score entry.
14150 Immediately scoring.
14155 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
14156 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
14157 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
14158 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
14160 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
14161 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
14162 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
14163 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
14164 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
14166 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
14167 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
14168 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
14169 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
14170 current score file.
14172 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
14173 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
14174 pretend they are keymaps or not.
14177 @node Group Score Commands
14178 @section Group Score Commands
14179 @cindex group score commands
14181 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
14186 @kindex W f (Group)
14187 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
14188 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
14189 all the time. This command will flush the cache
14190 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
14194 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
14196 @findex gnus-batch-score
14197 @cindex batch scoring
14199 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
14203 @node Score Variables
14204 @section Score Variables
14205 @cindex score variables
14209 @item gnus-use-scoring
14210 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
14211 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
14212 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
14214 @item gnus-kill-killed
14215 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
14216 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
14217 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
14218 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
14219 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
14220 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
14221 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
14223 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
14224 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
14225 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
14226 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
14227 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
14229 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
14230 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
14231 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
14232 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
14234 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
14235 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
14236 @cindex score cache
14237 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
14238 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
14239 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
14240 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
14241 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
14242 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
14245 @item gnus-save-score
14246 @vindex gnus-save-score
14247 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
14248 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
14249 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
14251 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
14252 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
14253 across group visits.
14255 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
14256 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
14257 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
14258 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
14259 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
14260 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
14261 manually entered data.
14263 @item gnus-summary-default-score
14264 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
14265 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
14267 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
14268 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
14269 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
14270 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
14271 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
14272 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
14274 @item gnus-score-over-mark
14275 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
14276 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
14277 default. Default is @samp{+}.
14279 @item gnus-score-below-mark
14280 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
14281 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
14282 default. Default is @samp{-}.
14284 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
14285 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
14286 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
14287 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
14289 Predefined functions available are:
14292 @item gnus-score-find-single
14293 @findex gnus-score-find-single
14294 Only apply the group's own score file.
14296 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
14297 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
14298 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
14299 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
14300 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
14301 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
14302 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
14303 then a regexp match is done.
14305 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
14306 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
14308 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
14309 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
14310 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
14311 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
14313 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
14314 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
14315 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
14316 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
14317 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
14320 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
14321 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
14322 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
14323 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
14324 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
14325 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
14328 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
14329 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
14330 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
14331 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
14332 are expired. It's 7 by default.
14334 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
14335 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
14336 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
14337 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
14338 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
14339 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
14340 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
14343 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
14344 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
14345 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
14347 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
14348 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
14349 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
14350 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
14351 threading---according to the current value of
14352 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
14353 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
14354 simplified in this manner.
14359 @node Score File Format
14360 @section Score File Format
14361 @cindex score file format
14363 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
14364 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
14365 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
14367 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
14371 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
14373 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
14375 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
14377 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
14382 (mark-and-expunge -10)
14386 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
14387 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
14388 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
14389 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
14393 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
14394 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
14396 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
14397 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
14398 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
14400 Six keys are supported by this alist:
14405 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
14406 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
14407 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
14408 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
14409 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
14410 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
14411 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
14412 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
14413 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
14414 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
14415 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
14416 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
14417 to articles that matches these score entries.
14419 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
14420 score entry has one to four elements.
14424 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
14425 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
14429 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
14430 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
14431 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
14432 is successful. If this element is not present, the
14433 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
14434 instead. This is 1000 by default.
14437 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
14438 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
14439 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
14440 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
14441 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
14444 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
14445 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
14446 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
14447 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
14450 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
14451 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
14452 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
14453 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
14454 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
14455 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
14456 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
14457 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
14458 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
14459 instead, if you feel like.
14462 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
14463 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
14465 These predicates are true if
14468 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
14471 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
14472 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
14479 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
14480 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
14481 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
14482 it's not. I think.)
14484 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
14485 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
14486 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
14487 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
14490 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
14491 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
14492 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
14493 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
14494 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
14495 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
14496 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
14500 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
14501 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
14502 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
14503 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
14504 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
14505 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
14506 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
14507 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
14510 @item Head, Body, All
14511 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
14515 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
14516 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
14517 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
14518 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
14519 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
14520 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
14521 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
14525 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
14526 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
14527 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
14528 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
14529 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
14530 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
14531 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
14532 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
14533 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
14534 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
14535 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
14539 @cindex Score File Atoms
14541 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14542 lower than this number will be marked as read.
14545 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14546 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
14548 @item mark-and-expunge
14549 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14550 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
14553 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
14554 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
14555 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
14556 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
14557 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
14560 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
14561 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
14564 @item exclude-files
14565 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
14566 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
14570 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
14571 ignored when handling global score files.
14574 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
14575 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
14576 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
14577 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
14580 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
14581 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
14582 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
14583 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
14585 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
14589 (mark-and-expunge -100)
14592 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
14593 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
14594 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
14595 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
14596 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
14598 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
14599 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
14600 ordinary scoring rules.
14603 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
14604 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
14605 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
14606 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
14607 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
14608 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
14609 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
14610 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
14611 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
14612 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
14613 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
14617 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
14618 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
14619 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
14620 file for a number of groups.
14623 @cindex local variables
14624 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
14625 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
14626 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
14627 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
14628 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
14632 @node Score File Editing
14633 @section Score File Editing
14635 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
14636 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
14637 with a mode for that.
14639 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
14640 additional commands:
14645 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
14646 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
14647 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
14648 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
14651 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
14652 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
14653 Insert the current date in numerical format
14654 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
14655 you were wondering.
14658 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
14659 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
14660 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
14661 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
14662 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
14667 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
14669 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
14670 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
14672 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
14673 e} to begin editing score files.
14676 @node Adaptive Scoring
14677 @section Adaptive Scoring
14678 @cindex adaptive scoring
14680 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
14681 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
14682 stupidity, to be precise.
14684 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
14685 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
14686 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
14687 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
14688 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
14689 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
14690 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
14691 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
14692 variable to @code{(word line)}.
14694 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
14695 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
14696 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
14697 might look something like this:
14700 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
14701 '((gnus-unread-mark)
14702 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
14703 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
14704 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
14705 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
14706 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
14707 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
14708 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
14709 (gnus-ancient-mark)
14710 (gnus-low-score-mark)
14711 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
14714 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
14715 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
14716 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
14717 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
14718 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
14719 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
14722 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
14723 will be applied to each article.
14725 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
14726 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
14727 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
14728 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
14730 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
14731 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
14732 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
14733 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
14735 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
14736 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
14737 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
14738 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
14740 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
14741 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
14742 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
14743 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
14744 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
14745 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
14747 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
14748 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
14749 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
14750 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
14751 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
14752 aspirins afterwards.)
14754 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
14755 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
14756 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
14758 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
14759 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
14760 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
14762 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
14763 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
14764 let you use different rules in different groups.
14766 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
14767 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
14768 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
14771 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
14772 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
14773 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
14774 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
14775 the length of the match is less than
14776 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
14777 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
14780 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
14781 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
14782 headers. If you adapt on words, the
14783 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
14784 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
14787 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
14788 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
14789 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
14790 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
14791 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
14794 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
14795 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
14796 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
14797 score with 30 points.
14799 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
14800 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
14801 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
14802 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
14803 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
14805 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
14806 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
14807 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
14808 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
14810 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
14811 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
14812 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
14813 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
14815 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
14816 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
14817 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
14818 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
14819 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
14821 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
14822 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
14823 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
14825 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
14826 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
14827 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
14828 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
14831 @node Home Score File
14832 @section Home Score File
14834 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
14835 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
14836 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
14837 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
14839 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
14840 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
14841 could perhaps use the same home score file.
14843 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
14844 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
14849 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
14853 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
14854 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
14858 A list. The elements in this list can be:
14862 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
14863 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
14866 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
14867 the home score file.
14870 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
14873 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
14878 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
14881 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14882 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
14885 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
14886 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
14888 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
14890 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14891 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
14894 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
14895 Other functions include
14898 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
14899 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
14900 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
14901 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
14905 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
14906 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
14907 their own home score files:
14910 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14911 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
14912 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
14913 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
14914 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
14917 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
14918 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
14919 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
14920 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
14921 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
14923 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
14924 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
14925 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
14926 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
14927 precedence over this variable.
14930 @node Followups To Yourself
14931 @section Followups To Yourself
14933 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
14934 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
14935 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
14936 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
14937 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
14938 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
14942 @item gnus-score-followup-article
14943 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
14944 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
14947 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
14948 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
14949 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
14953 @vindex message-sent-hook
14954 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
14955 @code{message-sent-hook}.
14957 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
14958 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
14962 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
14963 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
14966 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
14967 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
14972 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
14976 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
14977 is system-dependent.
14981 @section Scoring Tips
14982 @cindex scoring tips
14988 @cindex scoring crossposts
14989 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
14990 the @code{Xref} header.
14992 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
14995 @item Multiple crossposts
14996 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
14997 more than, say, 3 groups:
14999 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
15002 @item Matching on the body
15003 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
15004 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
15005 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
15006 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
15007 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
15008 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
15009 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
15012 @item Marking as read
15013 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
15014 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
15015 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
15019 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
15021 @item Negated character classes
15022 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
15023 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
15024 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
15028 @node Reverse Scoring
15029 @section Reverse Scoring
15030 @cindex reverse scoring
15032 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
15033 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
15034 like this in your score file:
15038 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
15043 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
15044 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
15047 @node Global Score Files
15048 @section Global Score Files
15049 @cindex global score files
15051 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
15052 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
15053 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
15055 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
15056 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
15057 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
15059 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
15060 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
15061 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
15062 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
15063 files are applicable to which group.
15065 Say you want to use the score file
15066 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
15067 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
15070 (setq gnus-global-score-files
15071 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
15072 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
15075 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
15076 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
15077 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
15078 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
15079 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
15081 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
15082 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
15084 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
15085 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
15086 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
15087 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
15088 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
15089 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
15091 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
15097 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
15099 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
15101 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
15103 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
15104 lowered out of existence.
15106 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
15107 articles completely.
15110 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
15111 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
15112 old articles for a long time.
15115 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
15116 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
15117 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
15118 holding our breath yet?
15122 @section Kill Files
15125 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
15126 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
15127 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
15129 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
15130 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
15131 files into score files.
15133 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
15134 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
15135 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
15136 that isn't a very good idea.
15138 Normal kill files look like this:
15141 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15142 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
15146 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
15147 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
15149 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
15150 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
15153 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
15158 @kindex M-k (Summary)
15159 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
15160 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
15163 @kindex M-K (Summary)
15164 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
15165 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
15168 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
15173 @kindex M-k (Group)
15174 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
15175 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
15178 @kindex M-K (Group)
15179 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
15180 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
15183 Kill file variables:
15186 @item gnus-kill-file-name
15187 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
15188 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
15189 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
15190 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
15191 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
15192 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
15194 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
15195 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
15196 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
15197 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
15200 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
15201 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
15202 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
15203 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
15204 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
15205 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
15206 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
15207 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
15208 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
15210 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
15211 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
15212 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
15217 @node Converting Kill Files
15218 @section Converting Kill Files
15220 @cindex converting kill files
15222 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
15223 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
15224 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
15227 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
15228 You can fetch it from
15229 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
15231 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
15232 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
15233 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
15241 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
15242 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
15243 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
15245 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
15246 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
15247 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
15248 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
15249 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
15250 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
15251 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
15252 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
15256 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
15257 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
15258 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
15259 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
15263 @node Using GroupLens
15264 @subsection Using GroupLens
15266 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
15268 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
15269 better bit in town at the moment.
15271 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
15275 @item gnus-use-grouplens
15276 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
15277 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
15278 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
15280 @item grouplens-pseudonym
15281 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
15282 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
15283 with the Better Bit Bureau.
15285 @item grouplens-newsgroups
15286 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
15287 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
15291 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
15292 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
15293 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
15294 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
15295 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
15296 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
15299 @node Rating Articles
15300 @subsection Rating Articles
15302 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
15303 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
15304 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
15305 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
15308 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
15313 @kindex r (GroupLens)
15314 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
15315 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
15318 @kindex k (GroupLens)
15319 @findex grouplens-score-thread
15320 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
15321 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
15322 threads in rec.humor.
15326 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
15327 the score of the article you're reading.
15332 @kindex n (GroupLens)
15333 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
15334 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
15337 @kindex , (GroupLens)
15338 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
15339 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
15343 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
15344 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
15347 @node Displaying Predictions
15348 @subsection Displaying Predictions
15350 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
15351 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
15352 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
15353 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
15354 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
15356 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
15357 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
15358 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
15359 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
15360 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
15361 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
15362 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
15363 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
15364 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
15365 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
15366 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
15367 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
15368 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
15370 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
15371 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
15372 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
15373 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
15375 The following are valid values for that variable.
15378 @item prediction-spot
15379 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
15382 @item confidence-interval
15383 A numeric confidence interval.
15385 @item prediction-bar
15386 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
15388 @item confidence-bar
15389 Numerical confidence.
15391 @item confidence-spot
15392 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
15394 @item prediction-num
15395 Plain-old numeric value.
15397 @item confidence-plus-minus
15398 Prediction +/- confidence.
15403 @node GroupLens Variables
15404 @subsection GroupLens Variables
15408 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
15409 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
15410 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
15411 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
15414 @item grouplens-bbb-host
15415 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
15418 @item grouplens-bbb-port
15419 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
15421 @item grouplens-score-offset
15422 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
15423 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
15426 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
15427 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
15428 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
15433 @node Advanced Scoring
15434 @section Advanced Scoring
15436 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
15437 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
15438 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
15439 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
15440 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
15442 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
15446 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
15447 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
15448 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
15452 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
15453 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
15455 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
15456 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
15457 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
15458 non-@code{nil} value.
15460 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
15461 operator, and various match operators.
15468 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
15469 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
15470 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
15475 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
15476 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
15477 then this operator will return @code{false}.
15482 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
15483 logical negation of the value of its argument.
15487 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
15488 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
15489 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
15490 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
15491 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
15492 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
15493 the ancestry you want to go.
15495 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
15496 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
15497 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
15498 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
15499 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
15502 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
15503 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
15505 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
15506 when he's talking about Gnus:
15510 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15511 ("subject" "Gnus"))
15517 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
15521 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15528 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
15529 really don't want to read what he's written:
15533 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15534 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
15538 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
15539 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
15540 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
15547 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
15548 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
15549 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
15550 ("body" "white.*socks"))
15554 The possibilities are endless.
15557 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
15558 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
15560 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
15561 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
15562 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
15563 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
15564 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
15565 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
15566 @samp{subject}) first.
15568 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
15569 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
15580 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
15581 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
15587 ("subject" "Gnus")))
15594 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
15595 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
15600 @section Score Decays
15601 @cindex score decays
15604 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
15605 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
15606 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
15607 use them in any sensible way.
15609 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
15610 @findex gnus-decay-score
15611 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
15612 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
15613 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
15614 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
15615 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
15616 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
15617 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
15618 definition of that function:
15621 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
15623 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
15624 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
15627 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
15629 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
15631 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
15634 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
15635 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
15636 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
15637 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
15641 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
15644 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
15647 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
15651 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
15652 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
15653 the new score, which should be an integer.
15655 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
15656 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
15663 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
15664 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
15665 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
15666 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
15667 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
15668 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
15669 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
15670 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
15671 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
15672 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
15673 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
15674 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
15675 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
15676 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
15677 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
15678 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
15679 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
15680 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
15684 @node Process/Prefix
15685 @section Process/Prefix
15686 @cindex process/prefix convention
15688 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
15689 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
15691 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
15692 command to be performed on.
15696 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
15697 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
15698 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
15699 with the current one.
15701 @vindex transient-mark-mode
15702 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
15703 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
15705 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
15706 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
15709 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
15710 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
15712 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
15715 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
15716 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
15717 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
15718 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15720 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
15721 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
15722 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
15723 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
15724 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
15725 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
15726 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
15727 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
15731 @section Interactive
15732 @cindex interaction
15736 @item gnus-novice-user
15737 @vindex gnus-novice-user
15738 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
15739 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
15740 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
15741 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
15744 @item gnus-expert-user
15745 @vindex gnus-expert-user
15746 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
15747 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
15748 matter how strange.
15750 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
15751 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
15752 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
15753 is @code{t} by default.
15755 @item gnus-interactive-exit
15756 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
15757 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
15762 @node Symbolic Prefixes
15763 @section Symbolic Prefixes
15764 @cindex symbolic prefixes
15766 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
15767 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
15768 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
15769 rule of 900 to the current article.
15771 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
15772 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
15773 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
15774 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
15775 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
15776 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
15777 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
15779 @kindex M-i (Summary)
15780 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
15781 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
15782 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
15783 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
15784 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
15785 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
15786 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
15787 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
15789 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
15790 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
15791 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
15793 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
15797 @node Formatting Variables
15798 @section Formatting Variables
15799 @cindex formatting variables
15801 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
15802 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
15803 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
15804 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
15805 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
15808 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
15809 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
15810 lots of percentages everywhere.
15813 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
15814 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
15815 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
15816 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
15817 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
15820 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
15821 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
15822 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
15823 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
15824 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
15825 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
15826 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
15827 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
15829 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
15830 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
15832 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
15833 @findex gnus-update-format
15834 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
15835 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
15836 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
15837 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
15841 @node Formatting Basics
15842 @subsection Formatting Basics
15844 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
15845 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
15846 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
15848 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
15849 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
15850 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
15851 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
15852 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
15855 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
15856 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
15857 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
15858 less than 4 characters wide.
15861 @node Mode Line Formatting
15862 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
15864 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
15865 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
15866 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
15867 with the following two differences:
15872 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
15875 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
15876 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
15877 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
15878 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
15879 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
15880 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
15881 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
15886 @node Advanced Formatting
15887 @subsection Advanced Formatting
15889 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
15890 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
15891 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
15892 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
15894 These are the valid modifiers:
15899 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
15903 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
15908 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
15911 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
15916 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
15919 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
15922 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
15925 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
15929 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
15930 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
15931 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
15932 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
15933 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
15934 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
15935 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
15937 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
15938 last operation, padding.
15940 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
15941 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
15942 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
15943 @xref{Compilation}.
15946 @node User-Defined Specs
15947 @subsection User-Defined Specs
15949 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
15950 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
15951 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
15952 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
15953 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
15954 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
15955 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
15956 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
15957 should protect against that.
15959 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
15960 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
15961 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
15962 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
15966 @node Formatting Fonts
15967 @subsection Formatting Fonts
15969 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
15970 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
15971 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
15972 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
15975 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
15976 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
15977 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
15978 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
15979 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
15980 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
15982 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
15983 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say
15984 @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
15985 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
15986 symbols naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
15987 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
15988 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
15989 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
15991 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
15994 ;; Create three face types.
15995 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
15996 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
15998 ;; We want the article count to be in
15999 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
16000 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
16001 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
16003 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
16004 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
16006 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
16007 (setq gnus-group-line-format
16008 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
16011 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
16012 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
16014 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
16015 mode-line variables.
16018 @node Windows Configuration
16019 @section Windows Configuration
16020 @cindex windows configuration
16022 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
16024 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
16025 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
16026 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
16027 @code{t} by default.
16029 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
16030 glitches. Use at your own peril.
16032 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
16033 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
16034 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
16037 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
16038 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
16039 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16043 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
16044 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
16045 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
16046 possible names is listed below.
16048 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
16049 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
16052 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16056 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
16057 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
16058 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
16059 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
16060 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
16061 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
16062 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
16063 size spec per split.
16065 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
16066 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
16067 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
16068 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
16069 present) gets focus.
16071 Here's a more complicated example:
16074 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
16075 (summary 0.25 point)
16076 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
16080 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
16081 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
16082 occupy, not a percentage.
16084 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
16085 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
16086 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
16087 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
16088 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
16091 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
16094 (article (horizontal 1.0
16099 (summary 0.25 point)
16104 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
16105 @code{horizontal} thingie?
16107 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
16108 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
16109 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
16110 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
16111 the screen is to be given to this strip.
16113 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
16114 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
16115 lines from the splits.
16117 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
16121 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
16122 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
16123 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
16124 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
16125 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
16126 size = number | frame-params
16127 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
16130 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
16131 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
16132 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
16133 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
16135 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
16136 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
16137 @cindex window height
16138 @cindex window width
16139 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
16140 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
16141 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
16142 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
16143 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
16144 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
16146 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
16147 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
16148 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
16149 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
16151 @findex gnus-configure-frame
16152 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
16153 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
16154 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
16155 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
16156 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
16157 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
16158 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
16159 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
16160 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
16161 configuration list.
16164 (gnus-configure-frame
16168 (article 0.3 point))
16176 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
16177 @code{frame} split:
16180 (gnus-configure-frame
16183 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
16185 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
16186 (user-position . t)
16187 (left . -1) (top . 1))
16192 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
16193 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
16194 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
16195 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
16196 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
16197 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
16198 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
16199 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
16201 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
16202 be found in its default value.
16204 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
16205 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
16206 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
16210 (message (horizontal 1.0
16211 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
16213 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
16218 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
16219 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
16220 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
16223 (message (frame 1.0
16224 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
16225 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
16226 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
16227 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
16228 (name . "Message"))
16229 (message 1.0 point))))
16232 @findex gnus-add-configuration
16233 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
16234 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
16235 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
16236 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
16239 (gnus-add-configuration
16240 '(article (vertical 1.0
16242 (summary .25 point)
16246 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
16247 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
16248 Gnus has been loaded.
16250 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
16251 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
16252 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
16253 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
16254 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
16256 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
16257 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
16258 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
16262 @node Faces and Fonts
16263 @section Faces and Fonts
16268 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
16269 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
16270 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
16275 @section Compilation
16276 @cindex compilation
16277 @cindex byte-compilation
16279 @findex gnus-compile
16281 Remember all those line format specification variables?
16282 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
16283 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
16284 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
16285 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
16286 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
16289 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
16290 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
16291 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
16292 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
16293 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
16294 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
16295 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
16299 @section Mode Lines
16302 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
16303 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
16304 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
16305 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
16306 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
16307 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
16308 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
16311 @cindex display-time
16313 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
16314 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
16315 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
16316 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
16317 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
16318 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
16319 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
16320 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
16323 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
16325 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
16326 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
16328 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
16329 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
16330 (length display-time-string)))))
16333 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
16334 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
16335 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
16336 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
16337 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
16340 @node Highlighting and Menus
16341 @section Highlighting and Menus
16343 @cindex highlighting
16346 @vindex gnus-visual
16347 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
16348 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
16349 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
16352 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
16353 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
16356 @item group-highlight
16357 Do highlights in the group buffer.
16358 @item summary-highlight
16359 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
16360 @item article-highlight
16361 Do highlights in the article buffer.
16363 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
16365 Create menus in the group buffer.
16367 Create menus in the summary buffers.
16369 Create menus in the article buffer.
16371 Create menus in the browse buffer.
16373 Create menus in the server buffer.
16375 Create menus in the score buffers.
16377 Create menus in all buffers.
16380 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
16381 buffers, you could say something like:
16384 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
16387 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
16390 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
16393 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
16394 in all Gnus buffers.
16396 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
16399 @item gnus-mouse-face
16400 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
16401 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
16402 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
16406 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
16410 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
16411 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
16412 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
16414 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
16415 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
16416 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
16418 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
16419 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
16420 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
16422 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
16423 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
16424 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
16426 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
16427 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
16428 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
16430 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
16431 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
16432 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
16443 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
16444 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
16445 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
16446 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
16447 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
16451 @vindex gnus-carpal
16452 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
16453 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
16454 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
16459 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
16460 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
16461 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
16463 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
16464 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
16465 Face used on buttons.
16467 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
16468 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
16469 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
16471 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
16472 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
16473 Buttons in the group buffer.
16475 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
16476 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
16477 Buttons in the summary buffer.
16479 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
16480 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
16481 Buttons in the server buffer.
16483 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
16484 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
16485 Buttons in the browse buffer.
16488 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
16489 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
16490 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
16498 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
16499 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
16500 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
16501 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
16502 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
16504 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
16505 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
16506 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
16508 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
16509 been idle for thirty minutes:
16512 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
16515 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
16519 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
16522 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
16523 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
16524 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
16526 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
16527 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
16528 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
16529 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
16531 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
16532 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
16533 @var{idle} minutes.
16535 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
16536 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
16539 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
16540 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
16541 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
16543 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
16544 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
16545 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
16546 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
16548 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
16549 your @file{.gnus} file:
16551 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
16553 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
16556 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
16557 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
16558 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
16559 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
16560 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
16561 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
16562 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
16563 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
16564 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
16565 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
16566 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
16568 @findex gnus-demon-init
16569 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
16570 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
16571 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
16572 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
16573 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
16575 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
16576 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
16577 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
16586 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
16587 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
16589 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
16590 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
16591 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
16592 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
16595 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
16596 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
16597 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
16598 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
16600 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
16601 this will make spam disappear.
16603 There are some variables to customize, of course:
16606 @item gnus-use-nocem
16607 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
16608 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
16611 @item gnus-nocem-groups
16612 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
16613 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
16614 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
16615 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
16617 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
16618 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
16619 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
16620 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
16621 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
16622 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
16623 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
16625 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
16628 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
16629 @cindex Chris Lewis
16630 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
16631 usenet abuse than anybody else.
16634 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
16635 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
16636 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
16638 @item jem@@xpat.com;
16640 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
16643 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
16644 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
16645 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
16648 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
16649 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
16650 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
16651 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
16652 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
16653 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
16654 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
16655 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
16656 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
16657 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
16659 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
16660 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
16663 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
16666 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
16667 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
16670 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
16673 The specs are applied left-to-right.
16676 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
16677 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
16679 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
16680 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
16681 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
16682 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
16684 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
16685 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
16688 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
16690 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
16698 This might be dangerous, though.
16700 @item gnus-nocem-directory
16701 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
16702 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
16703 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
16705 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
16706 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
16707 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
16708 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
16709 might then see old spam.
16713 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
16714 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
16715 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
16716 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
16723 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
16724 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
16725 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
16727 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
16728 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
16729 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
16730 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
16731 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
16732 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
16733 @code{undo} function.
16735 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
16736 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
16737 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
16738 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
16739 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
16740 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
16741 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
16742 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
16743 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
16744 never be totally undoable.
16746 @findex gnus-undo-mode
16747 @vindex gnus-use-undo
16749 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
16750 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
16751 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
16752 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
16757 @section Moderation
16760 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
16761 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
16762 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
16765 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
16769 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
16772 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
16774 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
16779 You split your incoming mail by matching on
16780 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
16781 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
16784 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
16785 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
16788 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
16789 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
16793 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
16796 (setq gnus-moderated-list
16797 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
16801 @node XEmacs Enhancements
16802 @section XEmacs Enhancements
16805 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
16809 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
16810 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
16811 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
16812 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
16825 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
16826 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
16827 over your shoulder as you read news.
16830 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
16831 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
16832 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
16833 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
16834 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
16839 @subsubsection Picon Basics
16841 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
16850 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
16851 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
16852 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
16853 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
16854 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
16855 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
16856 @code{GIF} formats.
16859 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16860 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
16861 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
16862 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
16863 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
16865 @vindex gnus-picons-database
16866 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
16867 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
16868 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
16869 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
16870 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
16873 @node Picon Requirements
16874 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
16876 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
16877 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
16880 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
16881 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
16882 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
16884 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
16885 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
16886 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
16887 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
16888 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
16892 @subsubsection Easy Picons
16894 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
16895 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
16898 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
16899 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
16902 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
16903 containing the Picons databases.
16905 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
16908 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16909 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
16914 @subsubsection Hard Picons
16922 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
16923 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
16924 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
16925 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
16926 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
16931 @item gnus-picons-database
16932 @vindex gnus-picons-database
16933 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
16934 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
16935 subdirectories. This is only useful if
16936 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
16937 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
16939 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16940 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16941 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
16942 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
16943 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
16944 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
16945 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
16947 @item gnus-picons-display-where
16948 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
16949 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
16950 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
16951 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
16952 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
16953 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
16954 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
16956 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
16957 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
16958 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
16963 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
16964 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
16966 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
16967 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
16970 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
16972 @item gnus-article-display-picons
16973 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
16974 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
16975 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
16977 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
16978 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
16979 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
16985 @node Picon Useless Configuration
16986 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
16994 The following variables offer further control over how things are
16995 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
16996 don't need to worry about.
17000 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
17001 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
17002 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17003 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
17005 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
17006 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
17007 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
17008 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
17010 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
17011 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
17012 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17013 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
17014 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
17016 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17017 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17018 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
17019 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
17020 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
17021 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
17022 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
17024 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17025 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17026 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
17027 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
17029 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17030 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17031 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
17032 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
17033 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
17034 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
17035 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
17037 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17038 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17039 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
17040 Defaults to @code{nil}.
17042 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
17043 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
17044 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
17045 Defaults to @code{t}.
17047 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17048 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17049 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
17050 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
17052 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
17053 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
17054 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
17056 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17057 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17058 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
17059 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
17061 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
17062 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
17064 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17065 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17066 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
17067 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
17068 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
17069 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
17070 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
17071 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
17082 @subsection Smileys
17087 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
17092 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
17093 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
17095 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
17096 @file{.gnus.el} file:
17099 (setq gnus-treat-display-smiley t)
17102 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
17103 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
17104 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
17105 text and maps that to file names.
17107 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
17108 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
17109 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
17110 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
17111 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
17112 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
17114 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
17115 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
17117 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
17118 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
17119 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
17121 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
17122 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
17126 @item smiley-data-directory
17127 @vindex smiley-data-directory
17128 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
17130 @item smiley-flesh-color
17131 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
17132 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
17134 @item smiley-features-color
17135 @vindex smiley-features-color
17136 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17138 @item smiley-tongue-color
17139 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
17140 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
17142 @item smiley-circle-color
17143 @vindex smiley-circle-color
17144 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17146 @item smiley-mouse-face
17147 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
17148 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
17154 @subsection Toolbar
17164 @item gnus-use-toolbar
17165 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
17166 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
17167 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
17168 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
17170 @item gnus-group-toolbar
17171 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
17172 The toolbar in the group buffer.
17174 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
17175 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
17176 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
17178 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
17179 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
17180 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
17186 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
17189 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
17190 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
17191 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
17192 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
17193 unusual directory structure.
17195 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
17196 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
17197 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
17198 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
17200 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
17201 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
17202 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
17203 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
17204 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
17205 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
17207 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
17208 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
17209 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
17223 @node Fuzzy Matching
17224 @section Fuzzy Matching
17225 @cindex fuzzy matching
17227 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
17228 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
17230 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
17231 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
17232 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
17234 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
17235 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
17236 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
17237 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
17238 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
17241 @node Thwarting Email Spam
17242 @section Thwarting Email Spam
17246 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
17248 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
17249 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
17250 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
17251 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
17252 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
17253 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
17254 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
17255 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
17258 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
17259 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
17260 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
17261 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
17262 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
17263 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
17267 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
17268 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
17270 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
17271 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
17272 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
17273 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
17274 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
17275 part of the mail address.)
17278 (setq message-default-news-headers
17279 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
17282 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
17283 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
17288 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
17289 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
17290 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
17296 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
17297 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
17298 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
17299 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
17301 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
17302 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
17303 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
17304 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
17305 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
17306 your fancy split rule in this way:
17311 (to "larsi" "misc")
17315 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
17316 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
17317 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
17318 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
17319 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
17321 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
17322 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
17323 at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
17324 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
17325 cosmic balance somewhat.
17327 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
17328 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
17329 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
17330 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
17333 @node Various Various
17334 @section Various Various
17340 @item gnus-home-directory
17341 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
17342 defaults to @file{~/}.
17344 @item gnus-directory
17345 @vindex gnus-directory
17346 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
17347 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
17348 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
17350 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
17351 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
17352 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
17353 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
17355 @item gnus-default-directory
17356 @vindex gnus-default-directory
17357 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
17358 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
17359 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
17360 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17361 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
17362 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
17365 @vindex gnus-verbose
17366 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
17367 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
17368 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
17369 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
17370 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
17372 @item gnus-verbose-backends
17373 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
17374 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
17375 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
17377 @item nnheader-max-head-length
17378 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
17379 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
17380 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
17381 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
17382 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
17383 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
17384 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
17385 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
17386 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
17388 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
17389 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
17390 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
17391 read when doing the operation described above.
17393 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17394 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17396 @cindex invalid characters in file names
17397 @cindex characters in file names
17398 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
17399 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
17400 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
17403 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17407 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
17408 Windows (phooey) systems.
17410 @item gnus-hidden-properties
17411 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
17412 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
17413 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
17414 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
17416 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
17417 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
17418 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
17419 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
17420 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
17422 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
17423 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
17424 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
17433 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
17434 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
17436 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
17438 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
17444 Not because of victories @*
17447 but for the common sunshine,@*
17449 the largess of the spring.
17453 but for the day's work done@*
17454 as well as I was able;@*
17455 not for a seat upon the dais@*
17456 but at the common table.@*
17461 @chapter Appendices
17464 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
17465 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
17466 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
17467 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
17468 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
17469 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
17470 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
17471 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
17479 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
17480 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
17482 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
17483 can point your (feh!) web browser to
17484 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
17485 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
17486 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
17488 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
17489 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
17490 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
17491 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
17492 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
17493 appropriate name, don't you think?)
17495 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
17496 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
17497 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
17498 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
17500 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
17501 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
17502 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
17504 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
17505 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
17507 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
17508 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
17510 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
17511 releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998.
17513 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
17514 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
17515 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
17516 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
17517 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
17521 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
17522 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
17523 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
17524 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
17525 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
17526 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
17527 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
17528 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
17535 What's the point of Gnus?
17537 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
17538 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
17539 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
17540 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
17541 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
17542 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
17543 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
17544 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
17545 keep track of millions of people who post?
17547 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
17548 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
17549 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
17550 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
17551 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
17552 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
17553 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
17554 every one of you to explore and invent.
17556 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
17557 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
17560 @node Compatibility
17561 @subsection Compatibility
17563 @cindex compatibility
17564 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
17565 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
17566 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
17571 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
17575 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
17578 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
17581 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
17582 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
17583 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
17584 important variables have their values copied into their global
17585 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
17586 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
17588 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
17589 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
17590 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
17591 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
17592 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
17596 @cindex highlighting
17597 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
17598 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
17599 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
17600 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
17601 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
17602 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
17605 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
17606 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
17607 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
17608 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
17610 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
17611 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
17612 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
17613 to stop doing it the old way.
17615 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
17617 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
17619 @cindex reporting bugs
17621 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
17622 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
17623 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
17625 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
17626 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
17627 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
17628 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
17633 @subsection Conformity
17635 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
17636 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
17643 There are no known breaches of this standard.
17647 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
17649 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
17650 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
17651 We do have some breaches to this one.
17657 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
17658 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
17659 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
17660 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
17661 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
17666 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
17667 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
17668 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
17669 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
17673 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
17674 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
17679 @subsection Emacsen
17685 Gnus should work on :
17693 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
17697 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
17698 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
17701 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
17702 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
17703 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
17707 @node Gnus Development
17708 @subsection Gnus Development
17710 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
17711 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
17712 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
17713 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
17714 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
17715 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
17716 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
17717 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
17719 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
17720 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
17721 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
17722 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
17723 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
17726 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
17727 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
17728 In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
17729 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
17730 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
17732 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
17733 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
17734 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
17735 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
17736 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
17737 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
17738 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
17739 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
17740 usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
17741 can't be assumed to do so.
17746 @subsection Contributors
17747 @cindex contributors
17749 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
17750 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
17751 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
17752 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
17753 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
17754 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
17755 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
17756 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
17757 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
17758 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
17760 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
17766 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
17769 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
17770 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
17771 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
17772 functionality and stuff.
17775 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
17776 well as numerous other things).
17779 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
17782 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
17785 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
17786 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
17789 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
17792 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
17793 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
17796 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
17799 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
17802 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
17805 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
17808 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
17809 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
17812 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
17815 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
17818 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
17821 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
17825 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
17828 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
17831 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
17834 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
17835 well as autoconf support.
17839 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
17840 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
17842 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
17851 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
17855 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
17865 Alexei V. Barantsev,
17880 Massimo Campostrini,
17885 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
17886 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
17890 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
17893 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
17899 Michael Welsh Duggan,
17904 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
17908 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
17916 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
17918 Michelangelo Grigni,
17922 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
17924 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
17926 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
17933 François Felix Ingrand,
17934 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
17935 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
17937 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
17948 Peter Skov Knudsen,
17949 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
17951 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
17952 Thor Kristoffersen,
17955 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
17973 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
17974 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
17981 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
17986 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
17990 John McClary Prevost,
17996 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
18001 Christian von Roques,
18004 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
18011 Philippe Schnoebelen,
18013 Randal L. Schwartz,
18028 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
18033 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
18049 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
18054 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
18055 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
18056 (550kB and counting).
18058 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
18061 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
18062 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
18066 @subsection New Features
18067 @cindex new features
18070 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
18071 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
18072 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
18073 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
18076 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
18077 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
18078 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
18082 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
18084 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
18089 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
18090 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
18093 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
18094 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
18097 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
18100 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
18101 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
18102 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
18105 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
18106 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
18107 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
18108 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
18111 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
18112 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18115 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
18116 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
18117 (@pxref{The Active File}).
18120 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
18121 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
18124 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
18125 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
18126 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
18129 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
18130 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
18131 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
18134 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
18135 the @file{.emacs} file.
18138 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
18139 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18142 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
18143 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
18146 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
18147 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18150 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
18151 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
18154 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
18155 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
18158 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
18161 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
18162 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
18165 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
18166 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
18169 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
18170 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
18173 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
18176 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
18177 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
18180 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
18184 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
18188 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
18189 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
18192 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
18198 @node September Gnus
18199 @subsubsection September Gnus
18203 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
18207 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
18212 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
18213 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
18217 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
18218 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
18222 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
18226 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
18227 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
18230 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
18234 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
18237 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
18240 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
18243 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
18247 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
18248 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
18251 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
18255 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
18259 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
18263 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
18267 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
18270 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
18271 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
18274 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
18278 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
18279 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
18282 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
18285 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
18286 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
18287 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
18290 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
18294 The Gnus cache is much faster.
18297 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
18301 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
18302 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18305 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
18306 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
18309 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
18310 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18313 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
18314 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
18315 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
18318 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
18319 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
18322 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
18325 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
18328 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
18331 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
18334 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
18335 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
18338 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
18342 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
18345 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
18350 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
18353 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
18357 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18360 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
18364 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
18367 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
18370 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
18371 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
18374 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
18375 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
18379 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
18380 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
18383 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
18387 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
18388 buffer to allow easier treatment.
18391 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
18394 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
18398 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
18402 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
18403 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
18406 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
18410 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
18411 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
18414 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
18415 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
18418 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
18422 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
18425 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
18428 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
18434 @subsubsection Red Gnus
18436 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
18440 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
18447 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
18450 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
18451 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
18454 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
18455 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
18459 Article washing status can be displayed in the
18460 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
18463 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
18466 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
18467 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
18470 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
18474 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
18475 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
18479 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
18480 Server Internals}).
18483 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
18487 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
18490 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
18491 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
18494 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
18495 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
18496 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
18499 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
18500 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
18503 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
18504 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
18507 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
18511 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
18512 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
18515 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
18516 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
18519 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
18523 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
18526 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
18530 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
18531 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
18534 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
18535 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
18538 A new command for reading collections of documents
18539 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
18540 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
18543 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
18547 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
18548 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
18551 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
18552 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
18553 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
18556 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
18557 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
18561 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
18565 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
18569 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
18574 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
18578 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
18582 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
18583 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
18586 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
18592 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
18594 New features in Gnus 5.6:
18599 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
18600 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
18601 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
18604 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
18605 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
18606 group, which is created automatically.
18609 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
18613 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
18616 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
18617 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
18620 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
18624 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
18627 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
18628 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
18631 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
18634 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
18635 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
18638 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
18639 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
18642 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
18643 control over simplification.
18646 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
18649 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
18653 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
18656 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18659 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
18660 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
18661 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
18664 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
18665 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
18668 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
18672 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
18673 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
18676 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
18677 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
18680 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
18684 A history of where mails have been split is available.
18687 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
18690 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
18691 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
18694 A new function for citing in Message has been
18695 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
18698 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
18701 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
18705 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
18706 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
18709 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
18710 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
18713 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
18716 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
18721 @node Newest Features
18722 @subsection Newest Features
18725 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
18728 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
18730 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
18731 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
18734 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
18739 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
18740 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
18743 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
18746 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
18749 facep is not declared.
18752 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
18753 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
18756 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
18761 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
18762 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
18763 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
18764 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
18765 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
18766 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
18767 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
18772 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
18775 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
18778 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
18780 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
18781 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
18783 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
18785 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
18787 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
18788 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
18790 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
18792 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
18793 be marked as unread.
18795 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
18797 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
18799 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
18800 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
18802 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
18804 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
18806 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
18807 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
18809 topics that contain just groups with ticked
18810 articles aren't displayed.
18812 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
18814 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
18815 make the mail groups killed.
18817 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
18819 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
18820 and articles have to be removed.
18822 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
18825 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
18827 finding short score file names takes forever.
18829 canceling articles in foreign groups.
18831 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
18833 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
18835 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
18837 nnweb doesn't work properly.
18839 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
18841 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
18842 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
18846 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
18848 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
18849 bar and the Gnus bar.
18852 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
18853 `(canonize-message-id id)'
18854 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
18855 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
18856 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
18857 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
18862 nnml .overview directory with splits.
18866 postponed commands.
18868 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
18870 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
18873 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
18874 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
18876 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
18877 inherit copy prompts and save files.
18879 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
18881 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
18882 for backends that support that.
18884 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
18886 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
18887 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
18889 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
18890 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
18892 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
18894 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
18896 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
18898 server mode command: close/open all connections
18900 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
18901 has been changed before using it.
18903 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
18905 hide (sub)threads with low score.
18907 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
18909 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
18911 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
18912 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
18914 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
18915 contain groups that match a regexp.
18917 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
18920 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
18923 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
18924 from subject lines.
18926 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
18928 nntp-ping-before-connect
18930 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
18932 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
18933 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
18935 message annotations.
18937 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
18939 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
18940 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
18942 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
18947 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
18949 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
18951 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
18953 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
18954 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
18956 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
18958 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
18960 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
18961 finds and generate proper active ranges.
18963 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
18964 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
18966 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
18968 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
18970 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
18971 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
18973 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
18975 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
18977 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
18978 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
18981 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
18983 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
18985 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
18986 `C-c C-c' when posting.
18988 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
18991 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
18992 should be marker as expirable.
18994 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
18996 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
18997 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
18999 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
19000 Also consult Date headers.
19002 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
19004 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
19006 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
19007 Message-ID, delete the "original".
19009 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
19010 into a See-Also header.
19012 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
19014 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
19016 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
19017 should be listed as such and not as "K".
19019 generate font names dynamically.
19021 score file mode auto-alist.
19023 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
19024 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
19026 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
19027 absolutely all headers there is.
19029 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
19030 and pipe them to the process.
19032 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
19033 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
19034 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
19036 function for starting to edit a file to put into
19037 the current mail group.
19039 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
19041 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
19042 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
19044 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
19045 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
19047 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
19049 when replying to several process-marked articles,
19050 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
19052 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
19053 groups it has been mailed to.
19055 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
19057 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
19059 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
19061 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
19062 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
19064 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
19065 newlines) should be ignored.
19067 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
19068 groups in subtopics as well.
19070 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
19072 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
19075 add edit and forward secondary marks.
19077 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
19079 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
19081 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
19083 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
19085 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
19087 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
19088 or the formatted article.
19090 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
19092 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
19093 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
19095 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
19097 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
19099 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
19101 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
19102 even unread articles.
19104 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
19106 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
19108 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
19110 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
19112 canceling articles in foreign groups.
19114 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
19117 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
19118 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
19120 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
19121 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
19123 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
19125 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
19127 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
19128 from a particular server? Hm.
19130 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
19131 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
19133 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
19135 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
19136 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
19138 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
19139 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
19141 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
19142 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
19143 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
19146 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
19147 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
19149 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
19151 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
19153 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
19155 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
19158 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
19161 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
19162 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
19164 command to show and edit group scores
19166 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
19169 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
19171 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
19173 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
19174 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
19177 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
19178 that are of that length.
19180 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
19182 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
19184 asynchronous posting under nntp.
19186 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
19188 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
19190 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
19192 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
19193 a score lower than this number.
19195 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
19197 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
19199 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
19200 so that each copy can be edited separately.
19202 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
19204 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
19205 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
19207 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
19210 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
19211 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
19212 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
19213 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
19215 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
19218 command to remove all topic stuff.
19220 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
19221 and splitting the resulting digests.
19223 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
19225 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
19227 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
19228 matches an alist -- before saving.
19230 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
19232 variable to activate each group before entering them
19233 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
19235 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
19236 starting Gnus first if necessary.
19238 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
19239 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
19241 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
19243 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
19244 of several groups at once.
19246 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
19247 matches some regexp(s).
19249 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
19251 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
19253 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
19255 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
19257 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
19259 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
19261 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
19263 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
19264 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
19265 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
19266 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
19268 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
19269 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
19271 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
19273 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
19274 recently cited text.
19276 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
19278 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
19281 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
19282 server and just read the articles in the server
19284 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
19285 value of nnoo variables.
19287 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
19289 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
19290 listed in each group info.
19292 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
19295 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
19296 should only be applied to some groups.
19298 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
19299 mail-copies-to: never.
19301 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
19302 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
19304 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
19306 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
19309 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
19312 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
19314 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
19317 group user-defined meta-parameters.
19321 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
19323 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
19324 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
19325 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
19326 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
19327 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
19329 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
19330 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
19337 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
19338 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
19340 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
19341 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
19343 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
19344 "Return the date the group was last read."
19345 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
19350 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
19351 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
19352 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
19353 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
19357 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
19358 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
19360 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
19363 They could be used like this:
19367 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
19368 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
19369 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
19371 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
19373 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
19376 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
19379 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
19380 affect the summary line format.
19384 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
19386 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
19387 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
19389 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
19392 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
19394 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
19396 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
19398 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
19400 - For other files, just find them normally.
19402 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
19403 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
19406 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
19407 tell him what you are doing.
19410 Currently, I get prompted:
19414 decend into sci.something ?
19418 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
19419 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
19420 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
19421 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
19424 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
19425 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
19426 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
19427 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
19430 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
19431 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
19437 more than n blank lines
19439 more than m identical lines
19440 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
19442 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
19446 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
19447 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
19448 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
19449 "same" subject for threading purposes.
19452 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
19453 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
19454 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
19455 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
19458 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
19461 soup - bowl of soup
19462 score below - dim light bulb
19463 score over - bright light bulb
19466 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
19471 show-list-of-articles-in-group
19472 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
19473 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
19474 if (articles-selected)
19475 start-reading-selected-articles;
19476 junk-unread-articles;
19481 else if (key-pressed = '.')
19482 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
19483 select-thread-under-cursor;
19485 select-article-under-cursor;
19489 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
19490 if (more-pages-in-article)
19492 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
19499 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
19500 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
19501 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
19504 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
19505 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
19506 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
19507 the wildcard expression).
19510 It would be nice if it also handled
19512 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
19514 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
19519 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
19520 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
19521 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
19522 article versions) variable.
19524 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
19526 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
19527 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
19531 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
19534 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
19535 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
19536 (message-sent-hook).
19538 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
19541 * Enhancements to Gnus:
19545 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
19546 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
19549 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
19550 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
19551 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
19554 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
19555 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
19559 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
19562 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
19566 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
19567 the nnmail duplicate checking.
19570 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
19571 value of the signature file.
19574 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
19575 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
19578 (setq message-tab-alist
19579 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
19580 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
19582 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
19586 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
19589 a command to import a buffer into a group.
19592 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
19595 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
19596 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
19599 a command to process mark all unread articles.
19602 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
19603 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
19604 do more gathering by subject.
19607 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
19608 article numerical order.
19611 (gnus-thread-total-score
19612 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
19616 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
19619 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
19620 in the summary buffer.
19623 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
19624 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
19627 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
19628 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
19629 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
19630 and/or newsgroup name.
19633 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
19636 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
19639 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
19642 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
19643 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
19644 will automatically get the process mark.
19647 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
19648 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
19649 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
19652 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
19656 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
19657 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
19660 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
19661 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
19665 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
19666 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
19669 be able to post via DejaNews.
19672 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
19675 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
19676 allow them to be displayed separately.
19679 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
19680 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
19683 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
19684 articles that match a certain From header.
19687 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
19688 saving living summary buffers.
19691 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
19692 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
19695 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
19696 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
19699 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
19700 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
19703 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
19704 (goto-char (point-min))
19705 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
19706 (replace-match "`" t t))
19707 (goto-char (point-min))
19708 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
19709 (replace-match "'" t t))
19710 (goto-char (point-min))
19711 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
19712 (replace-match "\"" t t))
19713 (goto-char (point-min))
19714 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
19715 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
19720 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
19722 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
19723 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
19724 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
19725 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
19729 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
19732 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
19733 numbers and match on the age of the article.
19737 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
19738 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
19739 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
19741 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
19742 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
19744 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
19745 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
19750 all commands that react to the process mark should push
19751 the current process mark set onto the stack.
19754 gnus-article-hide-pgp
19755 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
19757 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
19759 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
19760 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
19763 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
19764 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
19767 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
19771 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
19772 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
19775 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
19778 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
19781 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
19784 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
19788 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
19794 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
19797 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
19801 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
19802 X characters in the body.
19805 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
19808 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
19811 format spec to "tab" to a position.
19814 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
19817 command to display all dormant articles.
19820 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
19823 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
19824 to something someone else has said.
19827 Read Netscape discussion groups:
19828 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
19831 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
19832 the displayed version.
19835 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
19839 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
19842 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
19843 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
19844 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
19848 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
19849 in the head or body.
19852 Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
19855 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
19858 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
19859 in a special, unique buffer.
19862 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
19865 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
19866 is less than a certain number of days old.
19869 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
19872 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
19875 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
19876 file, for instance.
19879 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
19880 in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
19881 dummy root instead of the first article.
19884 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
19885 topics for displaying.
19888 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
19889 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
19892 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
19895 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
19896 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
19897 summary buffer for each article.
19900 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
19903 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
19907 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
19910 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
19914 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
19917 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
19920 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
19921 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
19924 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
19925 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
19928 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
19929 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
19932 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
19933 timeout for all commands.
19936 When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
19937 It should go somewhere else.
19940 I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
19941 Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
19942 "microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
19944 "nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
19945 but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
19947 Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
19948 Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
19955 Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
19956 --text follows this line--
19957 Sorry I killfiled you...
19959 Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
19961 Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
19966 Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
19970 - Edit article's summary line.
19972 - Sort lines in buffer by subject
19974 --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
19980 Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
19984 Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
19985 to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
19989 Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
19992 Solve the halting problem.
20001 @section The Manual
20005 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20006 either @code{texi2dvi}
20008 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20009 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20011 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20013 The following conventions have been used:
20018 This is a @samp{string}
20021 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20024 This is a @file{file}
20027 This is a @code{symbol}
20031 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20035 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20038 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20041 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20044 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20045 ever get them confused.
20049 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20050 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20051 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20052 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20053 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20054 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20055 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20061 @node On Writing Manuals
20062 @section On Writing Manuals
20064 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20065 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20066 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20067 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20068 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20069 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20072 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20073 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20074 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20077 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20078 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20083 @section Terminology
20085 @cindex terminology
20090 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20091 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20092 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20093 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20094 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20098 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20099 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20100 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20101 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20105 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20109 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20114 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20115 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20116 is all done by the backends.
20120 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20121 default, way of getting news.
20125 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20126 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20131 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20132 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20136 A message that has been posted as news.
20139 @cindex mail message
20140 A message that has been mailed.
20144 A mail message or news article
20148 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20153 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20158 A line from the head of an article.
20162 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20163 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20167 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20168 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20169 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20170 normal @sc{head} format.
20174 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20175 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20176 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20177 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20178 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20179 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20181 @item killed groups
20182 @cindex killed groups
20183 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20184 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20186 @item zombie groups
20187 @cindex zombie groups
20188 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20191 @cindex active file
20192 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20193 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20194 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20197 @cindex bogus groups
20198 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20199 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20200 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20203 @cindex activating groups
20204 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20205 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20206 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20210 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20212 @item select method
20213 @cindex select method
20214 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20217 @item virtual server
20218 @cindex virtual server
20219 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20220 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20221 whole is a virtual server.
20225 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20226 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20229 @item ephemeral groups
20230 @cindex ephemeral groups
20231 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20232 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20233 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20236 @cindex solid groups
20237 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20238 group buffer are solid groups.
20240 @item sparse articles
20241 @cindex sparse articles
20242 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20243 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20247 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20248 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20252 @cindex thread root
20253 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20254 articles in the thread.
20258 An article that has responses.
20262 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20266 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20267 specified by RFC1153.
20273 @node Customization
20274 @section Customization
20275 @cindex general customization
20277 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20278 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20279 for some quite common situations.
20282 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20283 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20284 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20285 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20289 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20290 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20292 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20293 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20294 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20298 @item gnus-read-active-file
20299 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20300 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20301 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20302 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20303 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20305 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20306 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20307 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20308 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20312 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20313 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20315 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20316 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20317 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20321 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20322 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20323 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20324 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20325 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20327 @item gnus-visible-headers
20328 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20329 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20330 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20331 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20333 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20335 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20336 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20337 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20340 @item gnus-use-full-window
20341 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20342 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20343 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20344 want to read them anyway.
20346 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20347 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20350 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20351 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20352 lines, which might save some time.
20356 @node Little Disk Space
20357 @subsection Little Disk Space
20360 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20361 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20365 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20366 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20367 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20368 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20371 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20372 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20373 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20374 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20377 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20378 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20379 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20380 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20381 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20387 @subsection Slow Machine
20388 @cindex slow machine
20390 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20391 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20393 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20394 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20396 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20397 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20398 summary buffer faster.
20402 @node Troubleshooting
20403 @section Troubleshooting
20404 @cindex troubleshooting
20406 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20414 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20417 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20418 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20422 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20423 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
20424 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
20425 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20428 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20432 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20433 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20434 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20435 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20436 something like that.
20439 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20442 @cindex reporting bugs
20444 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20446 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20447 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20448 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20449 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20451 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20452 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20453 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20454 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20457 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20458 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20459 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20460 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20461 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20462 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20464 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20465 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20466 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20469 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20470 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20472 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20473 @cindex ding mailing list
20474 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20475 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20479 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20480 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20482 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20483 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20484 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20485 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20488 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20489 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20490 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20491 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20492 and general methods of operation.
20495 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20496 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20497 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20498 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20499 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20500 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20501 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20502 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20503 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20507 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20508 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20509 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20510 @cindex utility functions
20512 @cindex internal variables
20514 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20515 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20516 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20520 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20521 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20522 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20524 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20525 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20526 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20528 @item gnus-group-real-name
20529 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20530 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20533 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20534 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20535 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20536 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20538 @item gnus-get-info
20539 @findex gnus-get-info
20540 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20542 @item gnus-group-unread
20543 @findex gnus-group-unread
20544 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20548 @findex gnus-active
20549 The active entry for @var{group}.
20551 @item gnus-set-active
20552 @findex gnus-set-active
20553 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20555 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20556 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20557 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20560 @item gnus-continuum-version
20561 @findex gnus-continuum-version
20562 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
20563 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
20566 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
20567 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
20568 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
20570 @item gnus-news-group-p
20571 @findex gnus-news-group-p
20572 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
20574 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20575 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20576 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
20578 @item gnus-server-to-method
20579 @findex gnus-server-to-method
20580 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
20582 @item gnus-server-equal
20583 @findex gnus-server-equal
20584 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
20586 @item gnus-group-native-p
20587 @findex gnus-group-native-p
20588 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
20590 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
20591 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
20592 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
20594 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
20595 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
20596 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
20598 @item group-group-find-parameter
20599 @findex group-group-find-parameter
20600 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
20601 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
20603 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
20604 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
20605 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
20607 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
20608 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
20609 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
20611 @item gnus-check-backend-function
20612 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
20613 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
20614 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
20617 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
20621 @item gnus-read-method
20622 @findex gnus-read-method
20623 Prompts the user for a select method.
20628 @node Backend Interface
20629 @subsection Backend Interface
20631 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
20632 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
20633 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
20634 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
20635 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
20636 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
20638 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
20639 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
20640 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
20641 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
20642 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
20643 been opened, the function should fail.
20645 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
20646 name. Take this example:
20650 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
20651 (nntp-port-number 4324))
20654 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
20655 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
20657 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
20658 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
20659 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
20661 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
20662 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
20663 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
20665 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
20666 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
20667 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
20668 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
20669 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
20670 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
20673 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
20674 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
20675 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
20676 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
20679 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
20682 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
20685 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
20686 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
20687 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
20688 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
20689 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
20690 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
20694 @node Required Backend Functions
20695 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
20699 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
20701 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
20702 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
20703 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
20704 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
20706 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
20707 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
20708 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
20709 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
20711 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
20712 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
20713 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
20714 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
20715 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
20716 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
20717 number, do maximum fetches.
20719 Here's an example HEAD:
20722 221 1056 Article retrieved.
20723 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
20724 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
20725 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
20726 Subject: Re: Something very droll
20727 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
20728 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
20730 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
20731 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
20732 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
20736 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
20737 these in the data buffer.
20739 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
20743 head = error / valid-head
20744 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
20745 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
20746 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
20747 header = <text> eol
20750 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
20751 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
20755 nov-buffer = *nov-line
20756 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
20757 field = <text except TAB>
20760 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
20764 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
20766 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
20767 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
20769 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
20770 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
20771 server. In fact, it should do so.
20773 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
20774 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
20777 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
20779 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
20780 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
20783 There should be no data returned.
20786 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
20788 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
20789 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
20790 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
20791 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
20793 There should be no data returned.
20796 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
20798 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
20799 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
20800 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
20801 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
20803 There should be no data returned.
20806 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
20808 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
20810 There should be no data returned.
20813 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
20815 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
20816 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
20817 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
20818 it would be nice if that were possible.
20820 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
20821 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
20822 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
20823 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
20824 into its article buffer.
20826 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
20827 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
20828 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
20829 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
20830 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
20831 on successful article retrieval.
20834 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
20836 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
20837 making @var{group} the current group.
20839 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
20842 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
20845 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
20848 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
20849 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
20850 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
20851 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
20852 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
20853 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
20854 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
20855 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
20858 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
20859 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
20860 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
20864 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
20866 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
20867 a no-op on most backends.
20869 There should be no data returned.
20872 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
20874 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
20877 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
20880 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
20881 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
20884 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
20885 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
20888 active-file = *active-line
20889 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
20891 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
20894 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
20895 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
20896 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
20899 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
20901 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
20902 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
20903 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
20904 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
20905 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
20906 clear if the posting could not be completed.
20908 There should be no result data from this function.
20913 @node Optional Backend Functions
20914 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
20918 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
20920 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
20921 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
20922 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
20924 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
20925 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
20926 former is in the same format as the data from
20927 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
20928 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
20931 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
20935 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
20937 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
20938 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
20939 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
20940 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
20941 should return the (altered) group info.
20943 There should be no result data from this function.
20946 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
20948 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
20949 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
20950 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
20951 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
20952 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
20953 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
20954 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
20955 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
20957 There should be no result data from this function.
20960 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
20962 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
20963 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
20964 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry all
20965 information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to propagate
20966 the mark information to the server.
20968 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
20971 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
20974 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
20975 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
20976 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
20977 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
20978 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a
20979 symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
20980 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
20981 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
20982 not limit itself to theese.
20984 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
20985 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
20986 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
20987 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
20989 An example action list:
20992 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
20993 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
20994 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
20997 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
20998 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21000 There should be no result data from this function.
21002 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21004 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21005 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21006 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21007 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21008 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21010 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21011 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21012 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21015 There should be no result data from this function.
21018 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21020 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21021 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21022 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21023 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21024 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21025 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21026 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21028 There should be no result data from this function.
21031 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21033 The result data from this function should be a description of
21037 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21039 description = <text>
21042 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21044 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21045 groups available on the server.
21048 description-buffer = *description-line
21052 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21054 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21055 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21056 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21059 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21061 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21063 There should be no return data.
21066 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21068 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21069 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21070 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21071 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21072 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21075 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21078 There should be no result data returned.
21081 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21084 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21085 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21087 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21088 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21089 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21090 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21091 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21092 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21094 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21095 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21098 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21099 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21101 There should be no data returned.
21104 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21106 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21107 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21108 this function in short order.
21110 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21111 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21113 There should be no data returned.
21116 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21118 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21119 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21121 There should be no data returned.
21124 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21126 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21127 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21128 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21130 There should be no data returned.
21133 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21135 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21136 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21138 There should be no data returned.
21143 @node Error Messaging
21144 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21146 @findex nnheader-report
21147 @findex nnheader-get-report
21148 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21149 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21150 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21151 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21152 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21153 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21156 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21158 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21161 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21162 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21163 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21164 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21166 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21167 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21168 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21171 @node Writing New Backends
21172 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21174 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21175 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21176 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21177 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21178 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21181 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21182 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21183 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21185 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21186 package called @code{nnoo}.
21188 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21189 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21195 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21196 parameters. For instance:
21199 (nnoo-declare nndir
21203 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21204 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21207 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21208 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21209 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21211 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21212 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21213 a function in those backends.
21216 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21217 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21218 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21221 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21222 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21223 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21225 @item nnoo-define-basics
21226 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21230 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21234 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21235 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21236 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21238 @item nnoo-map-functions
21239 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21240 functions from the parent backends.
21243 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21244 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21245 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21248 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21249 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21250 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21251 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21254 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21255 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21256 haven't already been defined.
21262 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21266 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21267 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21268 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21273 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21276 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21277 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21281 (require 'nnheader)
21285 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21287 (nnoo-declare nndir
21290 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21291 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21292 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21294 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21295 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21298 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21299 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21300 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21302 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21303 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21305 ;;; Interface functions.
21307 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21309 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21310 (setq nndir-directory
21311 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21313 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21314 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21315 (push `(nndir-current-group
21316 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21318 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21319 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21321 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21323 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21324 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21325 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21326 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21327 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21331 nnmh-status-message
21333 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21339 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21340 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21342 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21343 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21344 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21345 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21347 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21348 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21353 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21356 The abilities can be:
21360 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21362 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21364 This backend supports both mail and news.
21366 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21369 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21370 articles and groups.
21372 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21373 true for almost all backends.
21374 @item prompt-address
21375 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21376 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21377 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21381 @node Mail-like Backends
21382 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21384 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21385 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21386 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21387 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21390 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21391 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21392 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21395 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21396 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21399 This function takes four parameters.
21403 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21406 @item exit-function
21407 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21409 @item temp-directory
21410 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21413 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21414 performed for one group only.
21417 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21418 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21419 find the article number assigned to this article.
21421 The function also uses the following variables:
21422 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21423 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21424 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21425 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21429 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21430 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21434 @node Score File Syntax
21435 @subsection Score File Syntax
21437 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21438 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21439 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21441 Here's a typical score file:
21445 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21452 BNF definition of a score file:
21455 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21456 element = rule / atom
21457 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21458 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21459 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21460 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21462 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21463 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21464 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21465 date-header = "date"
21466 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21467 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21468 score = "nil" / <integer>
21469 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21470 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21471 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21472 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21473 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21474 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21475 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21476 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21477 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21478 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21479 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21480 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21481 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21482 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21483 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21484 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21485 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21486 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21487 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21488 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21489 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21490 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21491 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21492 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21493 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21494 eval = "eval" space <form>
21495 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21498 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21501 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21502 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21503 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21504 one looong line, then that's ok.
21506 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21507 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21511 @subsection Headers
21513 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21514 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21515 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21516 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21518 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21519 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21520 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21521 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21522 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21523 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21524 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21526 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21527 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21528 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21529 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21530 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21532 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21533 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21539 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21540 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21542 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21543 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21544 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21545 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21547 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21551 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21554 is transformed into
21557 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
21560 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
21561 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
21564 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
21567 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
21568 is slightly tricky:
21571 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
21577 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
21580 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
21586 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
21593 and is equal to the previous range.
21595 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
21596 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
21597 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
21601 range = simple-range / normal-range
21602 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
21603 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
21604 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
21605 number *[ " " contents ]
21608 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
21609 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
21610 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
21611 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
21612 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
21617 @subsection Group Info
21619 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
21620 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
21621 describes the group.
21623 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
21624 second is a more complex one:
21627 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
21629 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
21630 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
21632 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
21635 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
21636 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
21637 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
21638 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
21639 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
21640 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
21641 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
21642 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
21643 this section is about.
21645 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
21646 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
21647 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
21649 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
21652 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
21653 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
21654 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21655 group = quote <string> quote
21656 ralevel = rank / level
21657 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21658 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
21659 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21661 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
21662 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
21663 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
21664 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
21667 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
21668 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
21671 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
21672 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
21675 @item gnus-info-group
21676 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
21677 @findex gnus-info-group
21678 @findex gnus-info-set-group
21679 Get/set the group name.
21681 @item gnus-info-rank
21682 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
21683 @findex gnus-info-rank
21684 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
21685 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
21687 @item gnus-info-level
21688 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
21689 @findex gnus-info-level
21690 @findex gnus-info-set-level
21691 Get/set the group level.
21693 @item gnus-info-score
21694 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
21695 @findex gnus-info-score
21696 @findex gnus-info-set-score
21697 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
21699 @item gnus-info-read
21700 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
21701 @findex gnus-info-read
21702 @findex gnus-info-set-read
21703 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
21705 @item gnus-info-marks
21706 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
21707 @findex gnus-info-marks
21708 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
21709 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
21711 @item gnus-info-method
21712 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
21713 @findex gnus-info-method
21714 @findex gnus-info-set-method
21715 Get/set the group select method.
21717 @item gnus-info-params
21718 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
21719 @findex gnus-info-params
21720 @findex gnus-info-set-params
21721 Get/set the group parameters.
21724 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
21725 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
21727 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
21728 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
21729 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
21730 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
21733 @node Extended Interactive
21734 @subsection Extended Interactive
21735 @cindex interactive
21736 @findex gnus-interactive
21738 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
21739 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
21740 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
21743 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
21744 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
21749 The best thing to do would have been to implement
21750 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
21751 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
21752 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
21753 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
21754 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
21755 @code{interactive}.
21757 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
21762 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
21763 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
21767 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
21768 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
21769 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
21772 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
21776 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
21780 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
21786 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
21787 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
21791 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
21792 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
21793 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
21795 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
21796 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
21797 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
21798 Gnus, that's very useful.
21800 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
21801 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
21802 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
21803 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
21804 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
21805 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
21806 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
21807 following function:
21810 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
21814 (,function ,@@args))
21818 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
21819 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
21820 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
21823 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
21824 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
21825 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
21827 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
21828 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
21829 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
21832 @node Various File Formats
21833 @subsection Various File Formats
21836 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
21837 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
21841 @node Active File Format
21842 @subsubsection Active File Format
21844 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
21845 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
21848 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
21851 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
21852 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
21853 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
21854 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
21855 no.general 1000 900 y
21858 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
21861 active = *group-line
21862 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
21863 group = <non-white-space string>
21865 high-number = <non-negative integer>
21866 low-number = <positive integer>
21867 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
21870 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
21871 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
21874 @node Newsgroups File Format
21875 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
21877 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
21878 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
21879 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
21882 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
21883 Here's the definition:
21887 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
21888 group = <non-white-space string>
21890 description = <string>
21895 @node Emacs for Heathens
21896 @section Emacs for Heathens
21898 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
21899 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
21900 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
21901 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
21902 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
21903 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
21904 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
21908 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
21909 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
21914 @subsection Keystrokes
21918 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
21921 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
21924 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
21925 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
21926 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
21927 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
21928 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
21929 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
21931 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
21932 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
21933 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
21934 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
21935 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
21936 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
21937 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
21939 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
21940 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
21941 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
21942 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
21943 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
21944 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
21945 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
21947 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
21948 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
21949 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
21950 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
21951 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
21957 @subsection Emacs Lisp
21959 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
21960 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
21961 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
21962 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
21964 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
21965 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
21966 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
21967 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
21968 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
21969 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
21970 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
21973 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
21974 write the following:
21977 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
21980 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
21981 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
21982 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
21985 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
21986 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
21987 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
21988 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
21989 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
21991 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
21992 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
21993 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
21997 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22001 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22004 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22005 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22008 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22011 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22012 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22015 @include gnus-faq.texi