4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
347 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 T-gnus provides @sc{mime} features based on @sc{semi} API. So T-gnus
391 supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
392 other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
393 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
394 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
395 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
397 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
408 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
409 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
411 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
412 being accused of plagiarism:
414 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
415 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
416 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
417 can even read news with it!
419 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
420 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
421 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
422 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
423 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
429 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
430 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
431 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
432 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
433 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
434 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
435 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
436 * Various:: General purpose settings.
437 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
438 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
439 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
440 * Key Index:: Key Index.
442 Other related manuals
444 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
445 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
446 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
447 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
450 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
454 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
455 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
456 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
457 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
458 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
459 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
460 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
461 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
462 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
463 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
464 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
468 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
469 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
470 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
474 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
475 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
476 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
477 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
478 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
479 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
480 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
481 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
482 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
483 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
484 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
485 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
486 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
487 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
488 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
489 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
490 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
494 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
495 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
496 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
500 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
501 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
502 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
503 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
504 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
508 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
509 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
510 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
511 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
512 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
516 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
517 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
518 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
519 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
520 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
521 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
522 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
523 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
524 * Threading:: How threads are made.
525 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
526 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
527 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
528 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
529 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
530 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
531 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
532 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
533 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
534 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
535 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
536 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
537 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
538 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
539 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
540 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
541 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
542 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
543 or reselecting the current group.
544 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
545 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
546 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
547 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
549 Summary Buffer Format
551 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
552 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
553 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
554 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
558 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
559 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
561 Reply, Followup and Post
563 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
564 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
565 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
566 * Canceling and Superseding::
570 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
571 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
572 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
574 * Generic Marking Commands::
575 * Setting Process Marks::
579 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
580 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
581 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
585 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
586 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
588 Customizing Threading
590 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
591 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
592 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
593 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
597 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
598 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
599 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
600 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
601 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
602 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
606 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
607 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
608 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
612 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
613 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
614 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
615 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
616 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
617 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
618 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
619 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
620 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
621 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
623 Alternative Approaches
625 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
626 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
628 Various Summary Stuff
630 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
631 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
632 * Summary Generation Commands::
633 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
637 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
638 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
639 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
640 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
641 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
645 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
646 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
647 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
648 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
649 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
650 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
651 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
652 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
656 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
657 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
658 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
659 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
660 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
661 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
662 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
663 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
667 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
668 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
669 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
670 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
671 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
672 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
673 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
677 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
678 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
682 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
683 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
684 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
688 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
689 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
690 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
691 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
692 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
693 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
694 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
695 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
696 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
697 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
698 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
699 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
700 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
704 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
705 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
706 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
708 Choosing a Mail Back End
710 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
711 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
712 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
713 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
714 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
715 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
720 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
721 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
722 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
723 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
724 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
725 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
729 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
730 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
731 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
732 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
733 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
737 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
738 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
739 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
740 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
741 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
745 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
749 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
750 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
751 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
755 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
756 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
760 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
761 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
762 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
763 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
764 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
765 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
766 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
767 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
768 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
769 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
770 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
771 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
775 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
776 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
777 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
781 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
782 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
783 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
787 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
788 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
789 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
790 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
791 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
792 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
793 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
794 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
795 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
796 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
797 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
798 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
799 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
800 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
801 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
802 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
803 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
807 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
808 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
809 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
810 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
814 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
815 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
816 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
820 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
821 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
822 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
823 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
824 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
825 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
826 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
827 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
828 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
829 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
830 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
831 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
832 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
833 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
834 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
835 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
836 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
837 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
838 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
842 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
843 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
844 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
845 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
846 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
847 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
848 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
849 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
853 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
854 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
855 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
856 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
860 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
861 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
862 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
863 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
864 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
865 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
869 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
870 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
871 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
872 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
873 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
874 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
875 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
876 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
877 * Frequently Asked Questions::
881 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
882 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
883 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
884 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
885 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
886 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
887 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
888 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
889 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
893 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
894 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
895 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
896 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
897 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
901 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
902 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
903 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
904 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
908 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
909 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
910 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
911 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
912 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
913 * Group Info:: The group info format.
914 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
915 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
916 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
920 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
921 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
922 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
923 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
924 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
925 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
929 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
930 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
934 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
935 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
941 @chapter Starting gnus
946 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
947 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
950 @findex gnus-other-frame
951 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
952 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
953 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
955 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
956 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
957 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
959 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
960 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
963 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
964 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
965 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
966 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
967 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
968 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
969 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
970 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
971 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
972 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
973 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
977 @node Finding the News
978 @section Finding the News
981 @vindex gnus-select-method
983 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
984 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
985 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
986 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
989 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
990 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
993 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
996 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
999 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1002 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1003 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1004 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1006 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1008 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1009 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1010 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1011 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1012 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1013 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1015 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1016 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1017 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1018 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1020 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1021 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1022 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1023 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1024 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1025 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1026 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1027 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1028 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1031 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1033 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1034 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1035 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1036 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1037 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1038 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1040 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1042 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1043 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1044 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1045 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1046 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1047 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1050 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1051 you would typically set this variable to
1054 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1058 @node The First Time
1059 @section The First Time
1060 @cindex first time usage
1062 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1063 be subscribed by default.
1065 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1066 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1067 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1068 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1071 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1072 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1073 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1075 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1076 help you with most common problems.
1078 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1079 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1083 @node The Server is Down
1084 @section The Server is Down
1085 @cindex server errors
1087 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1088 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1089 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1091 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1092 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1093 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1094 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1095 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1096 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1097 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1099 @findex gnus-no-server
1100 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1102 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1103 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1104 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1105 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1106 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1107 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1108 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1112 @section Slave Gnusae
1115 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1116 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1117 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1118 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1120 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1121 @file{.newsrc} file.
1123 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1124 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1125 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1126 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1127 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1128 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1129 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1132 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1133 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1134 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1135 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1136 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1137 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1138 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1139 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1141 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1142 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1144 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1145 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1146 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1147 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1148 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1150 @node Fetching a Group
1151 @section Fetching a Group
1152 @cindex fetching a group
1154 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1155 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1156 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1157 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1158 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1159 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1165 @cindex subscription
1167 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1168 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1169 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1170 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1171 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1172 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1173 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1174 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1175 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1178 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1179 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1180 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1184 @node Checking New Groups
1185 @subsection Checking New Groups
1187 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1188 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1189 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1190 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1191 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1192 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1193 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1194 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1195 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1196 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1198 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1199 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1200 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1201 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1202 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1203 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1204 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1205 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1206 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1207 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1208 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1210 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1211 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1212 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1213 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1214 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1215 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1218 @node Subscription Methods
1219 @subsection Subscription Methods
1221 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1222 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1223 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1225 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1226 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1228 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1232 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1233 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1234 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1235 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1236 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1238 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1240 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1241 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1245 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1247 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1248 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1249 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1250 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1251 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1252 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1253 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1254 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1255 up. Or something like that.
1257 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1258 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1259 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1260 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1261 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1263 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1265 Kill all new groups.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1269 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1270 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1271 topic parameter that looks like
1277 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1280 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1285 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1286 A closely related variable is
1287 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1288 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1289 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1290 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1293 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1294 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1295 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1296 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1299 @node Filtering New Groups
1300 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1302 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1303 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1304 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1307 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1310 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1311 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1312 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1313 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1314 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1315 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1316 subscribing these groups.
1317 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1318 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1320 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1321 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1322 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1323 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1324 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1325 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1326 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1327 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1329 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1330 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1331 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1332 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1333 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1334 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1335 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1336 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1337 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1338 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1341 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1342 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1345 @node Changing Servers
1346 @section Changing Servers
1347 @cindex changing servers
1349 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1350 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1351 very flaky and you want to use another.
1353 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1354 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1358 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1359 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1360 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1361 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1364 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1365 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1366 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1367 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1369 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1370 @findex gnus-change-server
1371 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1372 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1373 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1374 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1375 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1378 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1379 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1380 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1381 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1383 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1384 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1385 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1386 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1387 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1388 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1390 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1391 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1392 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1393 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1395 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1396 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1397 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1398 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1399 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1400 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1401 cache for all groups).
1405 @section Startup Files
1406 @cindex startup files
1411 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1412 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1414 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1415 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1416 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1417 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1418 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1419 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1420 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1422 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1423 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1424 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1425 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1426 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1427 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1429 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1430 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1431 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1432 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1433 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1434 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1435 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1436 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1437 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1438 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1440 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1441 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1442 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1443 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1444 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1445 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1446 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1447 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1448 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1449 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1450 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1451 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1453 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1454 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1455 @vindex version-control
1456 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1457 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1458 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1459 If you want version control for this file, set
1460 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1461 @code{version-control} variable.
1463 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1464 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1465 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1466 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1467 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1468 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1469 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1470 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1471 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1472 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1475 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1476 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1478 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1479 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1482 @vindex gnus-init-file
1483 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1484 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1485 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1486 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1487 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1488 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1489 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1490 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1491 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1492 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1498 @cindex dribble file
1501 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1502 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1503 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1504 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1505 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1508 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1509 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1512 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1513 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1514 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1516 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1517 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1518 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1519 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1520 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1521 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1523 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1524 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1525 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1528 @node The Active File
1529 @section The Active File
1531 @cindex ignored groups
1533 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1534 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1535 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1537 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1538 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1539 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1540 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1541 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1542 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1543 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1546 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1547 @c if you set it to anything else.
1549 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1551 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1552 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1553 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1555 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1556 you actually subscribe to.
1558 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1559 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1560 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1561 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1563 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1564 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1565 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1566 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1567 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1568 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1570 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1571 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1572 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1575 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1576 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1577 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1578 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1579 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1580 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1582 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1583 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1585 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1586 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1588 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1589 secondary select methods.
1592 @node Startup Variables
1593 @section Startup Variables
1597 @item gnus-load-hook
1598 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1599 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1600 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1601 times you start gnus.
1603 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1604 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1605 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1607 @item gnus-startup-hook
1608 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1609 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1611 @item gnus-started-hook
1612 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1613 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1616 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1617 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1618 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1619 generating the group buffer.
1621 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1622 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1623 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1624 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1625 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1626 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1627 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1628 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1630 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1631 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1632 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1633 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1634 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1635 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1637 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1638 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1639 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1641 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1642 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1643 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1645 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1646 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1647 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1648 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1654 @chapter Group Buffer
1655 @cindex group buffer
1657 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1659 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1660 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1661 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1662 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1663 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1664 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1665 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1666 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1667 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1668 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1669 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1670 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1671 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1672 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1673 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1674 @c human rights at 9...
1677 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1678 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1679 long as gnus is active.
1683 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1684 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1685 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1686 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1687 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1688 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1689 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1690 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1696 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1697 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1698 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1699 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1700 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1701 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1702 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1703 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1704 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1705 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1706 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1707 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1708 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1709 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1710 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1711 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1712 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1716 @node Group Buffer Format
1717 @section Group Buffer Format
1720 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1721 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1722 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1726 @node Group Line Specification
1727 @subsection Group Line Specification
1728 @cindex group buffer format
1730 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1731 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1733 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1736 25: news.announce.newusers
1737 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1742 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1743 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1744 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1745 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1747 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1748 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1749 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1750 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1751 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1752 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1754 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1756 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1757 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1758 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1759 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1760 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1762 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1763 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1764 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1766 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1771 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1774 Whether the group is subscribed.
1777 Level of subscribedness.
1780 Number of unread articles.
1783 Number of dormant articles.
1786 Number of ticked articles.
1789 Number of read articles.
1792 Number of unseen articles.
1795 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1796 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1798 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1799 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1800 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1801 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1802 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1803 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1804 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1805 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1808 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1811 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1820 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1821 comment element in the group parameters.
1824 Newsgroup description.
1827 @samp{m} if moderated.
1830 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1836 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1842 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1846 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1849 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1850 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1851 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1852 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1853 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1856 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1858 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1862 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1865 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1869 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1870 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1871 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1872 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1873 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1874 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1879 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1880 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1881 group, or a bogus native group.
1884 @node Group Modeline Specification
1885 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1886 @cindex group modeline
1888 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1889 The mode line can be changed by setting
1890 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1891 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1895 The native news server.
1897 The native select method.
1901 @node Group Highlighting
1902 @subsection Group Highlighting
1903 @cindex highlighting
1904 @cindex group highlighting
1906 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1907 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1908 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1909 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1910 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1912 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1916 (cond (window-system
1917 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1918 (defface my-group-face-1
1919 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1920 (defface my-group-face-2
1921 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1922 (defface my-group-face-3
1923 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1924 (defface my-group-face-4
1925 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1926 (defface my-group-face-5
1927 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1929 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1930 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1931 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1932 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1933 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1934 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1937 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1939 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1946 The number of unread articles in the group.
1950 Whether the group is a mail group.
1952 The level of the group.
1954 The score of the group.
1956 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1958 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1959 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1961 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1962 topic being inserted.
1965 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1966 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1967 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1969 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1970 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1971 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1972 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1973 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1976 @node Group Maneuvering
1977 @section Group Maneuvering
1978 @cindex group movement
1980 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1981 expected, hopefully.
1987 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1988 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1989 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1995 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1996 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1997 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2001 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2002 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2006 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2007 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2011 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2012 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2013 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2017 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2018 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2019 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2022 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2028 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2029 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2030 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2035 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2036 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2037 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2041 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2042 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2043 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2046 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2047 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2048 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2049 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2053 @node Selecting a Group
2054 @section Selecting a Group
2055 @cindex group selection
2060 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2061 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2062 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2063 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2064 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2065 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2066 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2067 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2068 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2069 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2071 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2072 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2073 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2075 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2076 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2081 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2082 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2083 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2084 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2085 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2089 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2090 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2091 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2092 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2093 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2094 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2095 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2096 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2097 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2098 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2101 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2102 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2103 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2104 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2105 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2108 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2109 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2110 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2111 doing any processing of its contents
2112 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2113 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2114 manner will have no permanent effects.
2118 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2119 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2120 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2121 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2122 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2123 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2124 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2125 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2128 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2129 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2130 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2131 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2132 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2133 Which article this is is controlled by the
2134 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2140 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2143 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2146 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2148 @item unseen-or-unread
2149 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2150 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2154 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2158 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2159 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2161 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2162 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2163 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2164 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2168 @node Subscription Commands
2169 @section Subscription Commands
2170 @cindex subscription
2178 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2179 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2180 Toggle subscription to the current group
2181 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2187 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2188 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2189 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2190 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2196 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2197 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2198 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2204 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2205 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2208 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2209 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2210 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2211 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2212 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2218 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2219 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2223 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2224 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2227 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2228 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2229 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2230 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2231 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2232 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2233 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2234 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2235 @file{.newsrc} file.
2239 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2249 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2250 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2251 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2252 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2253 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2254 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2259 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2260 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2261 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2265 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2266 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2267 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2269 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2270 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2271 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2272 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2273 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2274 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2281 @section Group Levels
2285 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2286 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2287 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2288 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2289 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2291 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2297 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2298 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2299 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2300 prompted for a level.
2303 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2304 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2305 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2306 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2307 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2308 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2309 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2310 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2311 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2312 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2313 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2314 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2315 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2316 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2317 reasons of efficiency.
2319 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2320 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2322 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2323 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2324 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2325 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2326 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2327 groups are hidden, in a way.
2329 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2330 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2331 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2332 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2333 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2334 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2336 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2337 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2338 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2339 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2340 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2341 list of killed groups.)
2343 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2344 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2345 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2347 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2348 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2349 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2350 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2351 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2352 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2353 relevant valid ranges.
2355 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2356 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2357 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2358 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2359 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2360 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2363 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2364 one with the best level.
2366 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2367 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2368 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2371 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2372 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2373 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2374 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2377 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2378 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2379 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2380 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2382 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2383 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2384 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2385 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2386 to 5. The default is 6.
2390 @section Group Score
2395 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2396 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2397 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2400 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2401 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2402 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2403 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2404 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2405 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2406 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2407 least significant part.))
2409 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2410 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2411 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2412 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2413 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2414 action after each summary exit, you can add
2415 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2416 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2417 slow things down somewhat.
2420 @node Marking Groups
2421 @section Marking Groups
2422 @cindex marking groups
2424 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2425 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2426 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2427 bidding on those groups.
2429 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2430 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2431 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2439 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2440 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2446 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2447 Remove the mark from the current group
2448 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2452 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2453 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2457 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2458 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2462 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2463 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2467 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2468 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2469 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2472 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2474 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2475 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2476 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2477 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2478 the command to be executed.
2481 @node Foreign Groups
2482 @section Foreign Groups
2483 @cindex foreign groups
2485 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2486 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2487 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2488 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2495 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2496 @cindex making groups
2497 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2498 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2499 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2503 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2504 @cindex renaming groups
2505 Rename the current group to something else
2506 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2507 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2513 @findex gnus-group-customize
2514 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2518 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2519 @cindex renaming groups
2520 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2521 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2525 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2526 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2527 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2531 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2532 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2533 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2537 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2539 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2540 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2545 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2546 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2550 @cindex (ding) archive
2551 @cindex archive group
2552 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2553 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2554 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2555 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2556 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2557 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2558 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2562 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2564 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2565 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2566 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2567 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2571 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2573 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2574 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2575 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2579 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2580 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2582 Make a group based on some file or other
2583 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2584 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2585 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2586 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2587 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2588 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2589 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2590 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2591 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2595 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2597 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2598 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2602 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2606 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2607 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2608 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2609 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2610 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2611 @xref{Web Searches}.
2613 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2614 to a particular group by using a match string like
2615 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2618 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2619 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2620 This function will delete the current group
2621 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2622 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2623 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2624 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2625 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2630 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2635 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2636 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2637 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2640 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2643 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2644 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2645 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2646 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2647 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2648 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2652 @node Group Parameters
2653 @section Group Parameters
2654 @cindex group parameters
2656 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2657 Here's an example group parameter list:
2660 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2664 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2665 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2666 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2667 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2669 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2670 is an alist of regexps and values.
2672 The following group parameters can be used:
2677 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2680 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2683 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2684 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2685 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2686 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2687 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2689 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2690 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2691 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2692 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2693 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2694 list address instead.
2696 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2700 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2703 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2706 It is totally ignored
2707 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2708 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2710 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2711 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2712 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2713 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2714 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2716 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2717 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2718 sending the message.
2720 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2721 @cindex Mail List Groups
2722 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2723 entering summary buffer.
2725 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2730 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2731 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2732 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2733 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2734 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2735 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2737 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2738 directly uses this group parameter.
2742 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2743 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2744 of whether it has any unread articles.
2746 @item broken-reply-to
2747 @cindex broken-reply-to
2748 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2749 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2750 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2751 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2752 broken behavior. So there!
2756 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2757 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2761 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2762 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2763 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2768 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2769 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2770 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2771 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2772 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2773 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2774 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2775 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2776 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2780 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2781 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2782 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2784 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2787 @cindex total-expire
2788 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2789 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2790 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2791 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2794 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2798 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2799 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2800 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2801 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2802 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2803 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2804 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2807 @cindex score file group parameter
2808 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2809 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2810 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2813 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2814 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2815 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2816 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2819 @cindex admin-address
2820 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2821 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2822 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2823 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2827 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2828 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2832 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2835 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2836 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2839 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2843 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2845 Here are some examples:
2849 Display only unread articles.
2852 Display everything except expirable articles.
2854 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2855 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2859 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2860 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2861 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2862 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2863 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2867 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2868 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2869 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2873 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2874 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2875 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2879 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2880 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2881 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2883 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2885 @item ignored-charsets
2886 @cindex ignored-charset
2887 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2888 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2889 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2891 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2894 @cindex posting-style
2895 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2896 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2897 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2898 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2899 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2901 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2902 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2903 like this in the group parameters:
2908 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2909 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2914 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2915 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2919 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2920 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2921 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2922 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2923 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2927 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2928 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2929 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2930 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2932 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2933 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2934 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2935 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2938 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2939 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2943 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2946 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2947 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2948 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2949 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2950 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2951 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2952 @code{eval}ed there.
2954 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2955 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2956 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2957 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2958 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2959 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2960 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2961 parameters for the group.
2964 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2965 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2966 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2967 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2968 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2972 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2973 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2974 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2975 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2976 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2978 @vindex gnus-parameters
2979 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2980 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2984 (setq gnus-parameters
2986 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2987 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2988 (gnus-summary-line-format
2989 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2993 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2997 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3001 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3004 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3005 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3008 @node Listing Groups
3009 @section Listing Groups
3010 @cindex group listing
3012 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3020 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3021 List all groups that have unread articles
3022 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3023 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3024 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3025 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3032 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3033 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3034 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3035 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3036 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3037 unsubscribed groups).
3041 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3042 List all unread groups on a specific level
3043 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3044 with no unread articles.
3048 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3049 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3050 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3051 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3056 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3057 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3061 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3062 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3063 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3067 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3068 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3072 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3073 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3074 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3075 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3076 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3077 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3078 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3079 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3083 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3084 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3085 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3089 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3090 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3091 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3095 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3096 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3100 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3101 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3105 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3106 List groups limited within the current selection
3107 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3111 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3112 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3116 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3117 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3121 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3122 @cindex visible group parameter
3123 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3124 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3125 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3126 get the same effect.
3128 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3129 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3130 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3131 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3132 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3135 @node Sorting Groups
3136 @section Sorting Groups
3137 @cindex sorting groups
3139 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3140 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3141 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3142 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3143 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3144 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3149 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3150 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3151 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3153 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3154 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3155 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3157 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3158 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3159 Sort by group level.
3161 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3162 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3163 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3165 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3166 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3167 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3168 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3170 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3171 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3172 Sort by number of unread articles.
3174 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3175 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3176 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3178 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3179 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3180 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3185 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3186 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3190 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3191 some sorting criteria:
3195 @kindex G S a (Group)
3196 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3197 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3198 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3201 @kindex G S u (Group)
3202 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3203 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3204 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3207 @kindex G S l (Group)
3208 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3209 Sort the group buffer by group level
3210 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3213 @kindex G S v (Group)
3214 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3215 Sort the group buffer by group score
3216 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3219 @kindex G S r (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3221 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3222 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3225 @kindex G S m (Group)
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3227 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3228 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3231 @kindex G S n (Group)
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3233 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3234 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3238 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3239 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3241 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3242 commands will sort in reverse order.
3244 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3248 @kindex G P a (Group)
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3250 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3251 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3254 @kindex G P u (Group)
3255 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3256 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3257 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3260 @kindex G P l (Group)
3261 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3262 Sort the groups by group level
3263 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3266 @kindex G P v (Group)
3267 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3268 Sort the groups by group score
3269 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3272 @kindex G P r (Group)
3273 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3274 Sort the groups by group rank
3275 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3278 @kindex G P m (Group)
3279 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3280 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3281 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3284 @kindex G P n (Group)
3285 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3286 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3287 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3290 @kindex G P s (Group)
3291 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3292 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3296 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3300 @node Group Maintenance
3301 @section Group Maintenance
3302 @cindex bogus groups
3307 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3308 Find bogus groups and delete them
3309 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3313 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3314 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3315 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3316 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3317 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3321 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3322 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3323 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3324 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3325 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3326 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3329 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3330 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3331 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3332 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3337 @node Browse Foreign Server
3338 @section Browse Foreign Server
3339 @cindex foreign servers
3340 @cindex browsing servers
3345 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3346 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3347 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3348 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3351 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3352 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3353 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3354 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3356 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3361 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3362 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3366 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3367 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3370 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3371 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3372 Enter the current group and display the first article
3373 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3376 @kindex RET (Browse)
3377 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3378 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3382 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3383 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3384 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3390 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3391 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3395 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3396 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3400 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3401 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3402 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3407 @section Exiting gnus
3408 @cindex exiting gnus
3410 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3415 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3416 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3417 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3418 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3422 @findex gnus-group-exit
3423 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3424 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3428 @findex gnus-group-quit
3429 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3430 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3433 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3434 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3435 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3436 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3437 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3438 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3443 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3444 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3445 trying to customize meta-variables.
3450 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3451 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3452 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3458 @section Group Topics
3461 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3462 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3463 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3464 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3465 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3466 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3470 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3471 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3482 2: alt.religion.emacs
3485 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3487 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3488 13: comp.sources.unix
3491 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3493 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3494 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3495 is a toggling command.)
3497 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3498 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3499 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3500 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3503 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3504 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3505 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3508 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3512 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3513 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3514 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3515 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3516 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3520 @node Topic Commands
3521 @subsection Topic Commands
3522 @cindex topic commands
3524 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3525 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3526 definitions slightly.
3528 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3529 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3530 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3531 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3532 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3533 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3535 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3542 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3543 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3544 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3548 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3550 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3551 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3552 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3553 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3556 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3557 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3558 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3559 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3563 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3564 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3565 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3566 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3572 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3573 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3574 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3578 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3579 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3580 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3583 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3584 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3585 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3586 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3587 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3589 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3590 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3594 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3595 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3602 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3604 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3605 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3606 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3607 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3608 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3609 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3613 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3619 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3620 Move the current group to some other topic
3621 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3622 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3626 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3627 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3631 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3632 Copy the current group to some other topic
3633 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3634 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3638 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3639 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3640 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3644 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3645 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3646 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3650 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3651 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3652 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3653 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3654 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3655 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3656 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3659 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3660 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3664 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3665 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3670 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3671 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3672 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3676 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3677 Toggle hiding empty topics
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3682 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3683 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3684 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3685 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3688 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3689 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3690 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3691 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3692 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3695 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3696 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3697 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3698 expiry process (if any)
3699 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3703 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3704 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3707 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3708 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3709 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3713 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3714 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3715 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3718 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3719 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3720 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3723 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3724 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3725 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3729 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3730 @cindex group parameters
3731 @cindex topic parameters
3733 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3734 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3739 @node Topic Variables
3740 @subsection Topic Variables
3741 @cindex topic variables
3743 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3744 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3746 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3747 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3748 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3761 Number of groups in the topic.
3763 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3765 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3768 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3769 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3770 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3773 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3774 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3776 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3777 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3778 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3782 @subsection Topic Sorting
3783 @cindex topic sorting
3785 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3791 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3792 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3793 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3794 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3797 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3798 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3799 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3803 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3804 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3805 Sort the current topic by group level
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3809 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3811 Sort the current topic by group score
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3815 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3816 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3817 Sort the current topic by group rank
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3821 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3822 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3823 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3824 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3827 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3828 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3829 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3830 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3834 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3835 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3836 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3837 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3841 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3842 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3846 @node Topic Topology
3847 @subsection Topic Topology
3848 @cindex topic topology
3851 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3857 2: alt.religion.emacs
3860 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3862 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3863 13: comp.sources.unix
3866 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3867 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3868 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3873 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3874 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3878 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3879 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3880 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3881 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3882 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3883 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3885 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3886 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3887 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3890 @node Topic Parameters
3891 @subsection Topic Parameters
3892 @cindex topic parameters
3894 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3895 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3896 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3898 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3903 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3904 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3905 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3908 @item subscribe-level
3909 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3910 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3911 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3915 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3916 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3917 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3918 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3924 2: alt.religion.emacs
3928 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3930 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3931 13: comp.sources.unix
3935 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3936 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3937 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3938 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3939 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3940 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3942 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3943 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3944 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3945 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3946 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3948 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3949 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3950 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3951 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3952 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3953 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3954 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3955 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3958 @node Misc Group Stuff
3959 @section Misc Group Stuff
3962 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3963 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3964 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3965 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3966 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3973 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3974 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3975 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3979 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3980 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3981 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3982 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3983 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3984 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3985 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3989 @findex gnus-group-mail
3990 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3991 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3992 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3993 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3997 @findex gnus-group-news
3998 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3999 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4000 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4002 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4003 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4004 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4005 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4006 for this to work though.
4010 Variables for the group buffer:
4014 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4015 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4016 is called after the group buffer has been
4019 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4020 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4021 is called after the group buffer is
4022 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4025 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4026 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4027 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4028 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4030 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4031 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4032 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4033 whether they are empty or not.
4035 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4036 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4037 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4038 non-ASCII group names.
4042 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4043 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4046 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4047 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4048 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4049 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4050 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4051 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4056 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4057 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4062 @node Scanning New Messages
4063 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4064 @cindex new messages
4065 @cindex scanning new news
4071 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4072 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4073 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4074 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4075 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4076 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4081 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4082 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4083 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4084 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4085 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4086 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4087 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4089 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4090 @cindex activating groups
4092 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4093 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4098 @findex gnus-group-restart
4099 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4100 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4101 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4105 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4106 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4108 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4109 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4113 @node Group Information
4114 @subsection Group Information
4115 @cindex group information
4116 @cindex information on groups
4123 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4124 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4127 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4128 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4129 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4130 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4131 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4132 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4133 for fetching the file.
4135 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4136 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4140 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4141 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4143 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4144 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4147 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4148 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4149 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4153 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4154 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4155 @cindex control message
4156 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4157 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4158 group if given a prefix argument.
4160 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4161 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4162 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4163 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4165 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4166 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4167 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4171 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4173 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4174 @cindex describing groups
4175 @cindex group description
4176 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4177 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4178 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4182 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4183 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4184 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4191 @findex gnus-version
4192 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4196 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4197 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4200 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4203 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4204 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4208 @node Group Timestamp
4209 @subsection Group Timestamp
4211 @cindex group timestamps
4213 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4214 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4215 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4218 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4221 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4223 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4224 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4227 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4228 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4231 This will result in lines looking like:
4234 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4235 0: custom 19961002T012713
4238 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4239 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4243 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4244 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4247 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4248 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4252 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4253 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4254 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4255 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4257 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4263 @subsection File Commands
4264 @cindex file commands
4270 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4271 @vindex gnus-init-file
4272 @cindex reading init file
4273 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4274 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4278 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4279 @cindex saving .newsrc
4280 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4281 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4282 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4285 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4286 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4287 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4292 @node Sieve Commands
4293 @subsection Sieve Commands
4294 @cindex group sieve commands
4296 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4297 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4298 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4299 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4300 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4302 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4303 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4304 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4305 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4306 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4307 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4308 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4309 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4310 regenerate the Sieve script.
4312 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4313 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4314 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4315 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4316 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4317 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4318 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4319 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4320 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4321 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4324 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4325 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4330 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4336 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4337 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4338 @cindex generating sieve script
4339 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4340 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4344 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4345 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4346 @cindex updating sieve script
4347 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4348 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4349 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4354 @node Summary Buffer
4355 @chapter Summary Buffer
4356 @cindex summary buffer
4358 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4359 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4361 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4362 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4364 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4367 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4368 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4369 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4370 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4371 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4372 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4373 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4374 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4375 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4376 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4377 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4378 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4379 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4380 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4381 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4382 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4383 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4384 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4385 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4386 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4387 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4388 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4389 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4390 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4391 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4392 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4393 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4394 or reselecting the current group.
4395 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4396 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4397 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4398 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4402 @node Summary Buffer Format
4403 @section Summary Buffer Format
4404 @cindex summary buffer format
4408 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4409 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4410 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4416 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4417 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4418 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4419 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4422 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4423 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4424 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4425 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4426 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4427 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4428 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4429 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4430 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4431 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4432 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4433 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4434 other function instead:
4437 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4438 'mail-extract-address-components)
4441 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4442 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4443 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4444 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4447 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4448 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4450 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4451 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4452 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4453 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4454 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4456 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4457 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4458 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4459 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4460 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4461 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4463 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4465 The following format specification characters and extended format
4466 specification(s) are understood:
4472 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4473 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4475 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4476 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4477 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4479 Full @code{From} header.
4481 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4483 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4486 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4487 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4488 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4489 may be more thorough.
4491 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4494 Number of lines in the article.
4496 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4497 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4499 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4500 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4502 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4504 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4505 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4518 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4519 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4520 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4523 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4524 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4525 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4526 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4528 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4529 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4530 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4531 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4533 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4534 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4535 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4537 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4538 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4539 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4541 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4542 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4543 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4545 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4546 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4547 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4552 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4553 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4555 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4556 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4558 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4559 for adopted articles.
4561 One space for each thread level.
4563 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4565 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4568 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4569 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4570 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4573 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4575 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4576 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4577 default level. If the difference between
4578 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4579 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4587 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4589 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4595 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4596 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4598 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4599 article has any children.
4605 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4606 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4608 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4609 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4610 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4611 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4612 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4613 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4616 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4617 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4618 There can only be one such area.
4620 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4621 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4622 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4623 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4624 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4625 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4627 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4628 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4630 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4633 @node To From Newsgroups
4634 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4638 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4639 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4640 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4641 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4642 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4646 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4647 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4648 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4652 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4653 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4656 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4657 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4660 @findex gnus-extra-header
4661 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4662 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4663 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4666 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4670 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4671 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4672 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4673 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4674 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4675 headers are used instead.
4679 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4680 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4681 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
4682 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4683 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4684 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4687 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4688 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4689 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4690 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4692 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4696 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4698 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4699 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4700 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4701 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4705 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4708 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4709 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4712 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4713 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4714 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4720 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4721 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4724 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4725 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4727 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4728 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4729 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4730 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4732 Here are the elements you can play with:
4738 Unprefixed group name.
4740 Current article number.
4742 Current article score.
4746 Number of unread articles in this group.
4748 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4751 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4752 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4753 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4754 and no unselected ones.
4756 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4757 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4759 Subject of the current article.
4761 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4763 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4765 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4767 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4769 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4771 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4775 @node Summary Highlighting
4776 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4780 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4781 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4782 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4783 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4784 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4786 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4787 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4788 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4789 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4791 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4792 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4793 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4794 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4796 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4797 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4798 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4799 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4800 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4801 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4804 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4805 ((> score default) . bold))
4807 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4808 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4812 @node Summary Maneuvering
4813 @section Summary Maneuvering
4814 @cindex summary movement
4816 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4817 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4819 None of these commands select articles.
4824 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4825 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4826 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4827 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4828 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4832 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4833 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4834 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4835 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4836 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4839 @kindex G g (Summary)
4840 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4841 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4842 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4845 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4846 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4847 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4848 to the group buffer.
4850 Variables related to summary movement:
4854 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4855 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4856 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4857 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4858 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4859 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4860 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4861 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4862 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4863 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4864 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4865 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4866 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4867 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4869 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4870 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4871 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4872 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4873 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4874 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4875 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4877 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4879 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4880 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4881 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4882 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4883 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4885 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4886 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4887 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4888 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4889 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4890 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4891 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4892 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4895 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4896 the given number of lines from the top.
4901 @node Choosing Articles
4902 @section Choosing Articles
4903 @cindex selecting articles
4906 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4907 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4911 @node Choosing Commands
4912 @subsection Choosing Commands
4914 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4915 and they all select and display an article.
4917 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4918 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4922 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4923 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4924 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4925 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4927 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4928 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4929 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4934 @kindex G n (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4936 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4937 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4942 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4943 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4944 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4949 @kindex G N (Summary)
4950 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4951 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4956 @kindex G P (Summary)
4957 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4958 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4961 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4962 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4963 Go to the next article with the same subject
4964 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4967 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4968 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4969 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4970 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4974 @kindex G f (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4977 Go to the first unread article
4978 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4982 @kindex G b (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4985 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4987 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4992 @kindex G l (Summary)
4993 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4994 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4997 @kindex G o (Summary)
4998 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5000 @cindex article history
5001 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5002 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5003 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5004 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5005 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5006 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5011 @kindex G j (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5013 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5014 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5019 @node Choosing Variables
5020 @subsection Choosing Variables
5022 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5025 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5026 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5027 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5028 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5029 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5030 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5032 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5033 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5034 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5035 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5036 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5037 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5039 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5040 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5041 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5042 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5043 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5044 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5045 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5046 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5047 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5048 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5049 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5050 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5051 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5052 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5057 @node Paging the Article
5058 @section Scrolling the Article
5059 @cindex article scrolling
5064 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5065 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5066 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5067 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5068 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5070 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5071 If the rest of the article consists only of citations and signature,
5072 then it will be skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You
5073 can customize what is considered uninteresting with
5074 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}, or set it to @code{nil} to disable
5075 this feature. You can manually view the article's pages, no matter how
5076 boring, using @kbd{C-v} in the article buffer.
5079 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5080 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5081 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5084 @kindex RET (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5086 Scroll the current article one line forward
5087 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5090 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5091 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5092 Scroll the current article one line backward
5093 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5097 @kindex A g (Summary)
5099 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5100 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5101 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5102 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5103 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5104 the way it came from the server.
5106 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5107 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5108 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5111 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5116 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5121 @kindex A < (Summary)
5122 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5123 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5124 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5129 @kindex A > (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5131 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5135 @kindex A s (Summary)
5137 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5138 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5139 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5143 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5144 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5149 @node Reply Followup and Post
5150 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5153 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5154 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5155 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5156 * Canceling and Superseding::
5160 @node Summary Mail Commands
5161 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5163 @cindex composing mail
5165 Commands for composing a mail message:
5171 @kindex S r (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5174 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5175 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5176 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5177 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5182 @kindex S R (Summary)
5183 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5184 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5185 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5186 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5187 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5190 @kindex S w (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5192 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5193 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5194 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5195 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5198 @kindex S W (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5200 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5201 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5202 the process/prefix convention.
5205 @kindex S v (Summary)
5206 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5207 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5208 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5209 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5210 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5211 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5214 @kindex S V (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5216 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5217 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5218 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5221 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5222 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5223 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5224 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5227 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5228 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5229 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5230 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5231 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5235 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5236 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5237 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5238 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5239 Forward the current article to some other person
5240 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5241 headers of the forwarded article.
5246 @kindex S m (Summary)
5247 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5248 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5249 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5250 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5251 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5256 @kindex S i (Summary)
5257 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5258 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5259 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5260 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5262 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5263 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5264 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5265 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5266 for this to work though.
5269 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5270 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5271 @cindex bouncing mail
5272 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5273 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5274 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5275 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5276 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5277 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5278 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5279 very well fail, though.
5282 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5284 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5285 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5286 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5287 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5288 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5289 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5290 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5291 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5293 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5294 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5295 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5296 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5297 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5299 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5300 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5303 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5305 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5306 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5307 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5310 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5311 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5312 @cindex crossposting
5313 @cindex excessive crossposting
5314 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5315 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5317 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5318 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5319 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5320 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5321 command understands the process/prefix convention
5322 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5326 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5327 Manual}, for more information.
5330 @node Summary Post Commands
5331 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5333 @cindex composing news
5335 Commands for posting a news article:
5341 @kindex S p (Summary)
5342 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5343 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5344 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5345 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5346 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5351 @kindex S f (Summary)
5352 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5353 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5354 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5358 @kindex S F (Summary)
5360 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5361 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5362 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5363 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5364 process/prefix convention.
5367 @kindex S n (Summary)
5368 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5369 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5370 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5373 @kindex S N (Summary)
5374 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5375 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5376 message through mail and include the original message
5377 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5378 the process/prefix convention.
5381 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5383 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5384 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5385 headers of the forwarded article.
5388 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5389 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5391 @cindex making digests
5392 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5393 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5394 process/prefix convention.
5397 @kindex S u (Summary)
5398 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5399 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5400 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5401 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5404 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5405 Manual}, for more information.
5408 @node Summary Message Commands
5409 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5413 @kindex S y (Summary)
5414 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5415 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5416 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5417 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5418 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5423 @node Canceling and Superseding
5424 @subsection Canceling Articles
5425 @cindex canceling articles
5426 @cindex superseding articles
5428 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5429 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5431 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5433 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5435 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5436 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5437 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5438 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5439 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5440 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5442 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5443 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5446 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5447 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5448 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5450 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5451 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5452 your original article.
5454 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5456 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5457 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5458 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5461 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5462 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5463 have posted almost the same article twice.
5465 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5466 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5467 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5468 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5469 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5470 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5471 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5472 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5473 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5474 canceled/superseded.
5476 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5478 @node Delayed Articles
5479 @section Delayed Articles
5480 @cindex delayed sending
5481 @cindex send delayed
5483 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5484 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5485 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5486 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5489 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5492 @findex gnus-delay-article
5493 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5494 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5495 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5496 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5500 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5501 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5502 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5503 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5506 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5507 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5508 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5511 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5512 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5513 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5514 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5515 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5516 that means a time tomorrow.
5519 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5520 couple of variables:
5523 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5524 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5525 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5526 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5528 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5529 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5530 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5531 formats described above.
5533 @item gnus-delay-group
5534 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5535 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5536 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5537 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5539 @item gnus-delay-header
5540 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5541 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5542 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5543 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5546 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5547 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5548 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5549 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5550 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5552 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5553 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5554 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5555 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5556 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5557 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5558 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5561 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5562 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5564 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5565 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5566 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5567 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5568 argument is ignored.
5570 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5571 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5572 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5576 @node Marking Articles
5577 @section Marking Articles
5578 @cindex article marking
5579 @cindex article ticking
5582 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5584 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5585 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5586 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5588 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5591 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5592 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5593 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5597 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5601 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5602 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5603 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5607 @node Unread Articles
5608 @subsection Unread Articles
5610 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5615 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5616 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5618 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5619 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5620 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5621 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5622 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5623 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5624 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5627 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5628 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5630 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5631 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5632 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5633 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5637 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5638 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5640 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5645 @subsection Read Articles
5646 @cindex expirable mark
5648 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5653 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5654 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5655 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5658 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5659 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5662 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5663 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5664 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5667 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5668 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5671 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5672 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5675 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5676 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5679 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5680 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5683 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5684 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5687 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5688 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5691 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5692 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5696 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5697 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5698 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5702 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5703 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5705 One more special mark, though:
5709 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5710 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5712 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5713 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5714 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5715 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5721 @subsection Other Marks
5722 @cindex process mark
5725 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5731 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5732 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5733 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5734 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5735 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5738 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5739 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5740 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5741 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5744 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5745 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5746 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5749 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5750 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5751 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5754 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5755 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5756 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5757 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5760 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5761 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5762 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5763 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5764 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5765 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5768 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5769 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5770 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5771 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5774 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5775 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5776 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5777 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5778 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5782 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5783 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5784 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5785 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5786 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5787 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5790 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5791 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5792 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5793 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5794 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5795 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5799 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5800 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5801 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5802 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5803 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5806 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5807 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5808 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5809 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5810 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5811 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5815 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5816 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5817 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5819 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5820 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5821 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5825 @subsection Setting Marks
5826 @cindex setting marks
5828 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5833 @kindex M c (Summary)
5834 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5835 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5836 @cindex mark as unread
5837 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5838 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5844 @kindex M t (Summary)
5845 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5846 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5847 @xref{Article Caching}.
5852 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5853 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5854 Mark the current article as dormant
5855 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5859 @kindex M d (Summary)
5861 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5862 Mark the current article as read
5863 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5867 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5868 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5869 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5874 @kindex M k (Summary)
5875 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5876 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5877 and then select the next unread article
5878 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5882 @kindex M K (Summary)
5883 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5884 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5885 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5886 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5889 @kindex M C (Summary)
5890 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5891 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5892 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5895 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5896 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5897 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5898 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5901 @kindex M H (Summary)
5902 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5903 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5904 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5907 @kindex M h (Summary)
5908 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5909 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5910 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5913 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5914 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5915 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5916 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5919 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5920 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5921 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5922 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5926 @kindex M e (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5929 Mark the current article as expirable
5930 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5933 @kindex M b (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5935 Set a bookmark in the current article
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5939 @kindex M B (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5941 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5942 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5945 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5947 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5948 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5951 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5952 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5953 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5954 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5957 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5958 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5959 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5960 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5961 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5964 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5965 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5966 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5967 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5968 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5969 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5970 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5971 The default is @code{t}.
5974 @node Generic Marking Commands
5975 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5977 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5978 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5979 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5980 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5981 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5984 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5985 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5988 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5989 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5990 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5991 to list in this manual.
5993 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5994 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5995 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5996 article, you could say something like:
5999 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6000 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6001 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6007 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6008 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6012 @node Setting Process Marks
6013 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6014 @cindex setting process marks
6016 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6017 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6018 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6019 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6020 commands into the cache. For more information,
6021 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6028 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6030 Mark the current article with the process mark
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6032 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6036 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6037 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6038 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6039 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6042 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6044 Remove the process mark from all articles
6045 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6048 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6050 Invert the list of process marked articles
6051 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6054 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6056 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6057 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6060 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6062 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6063 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6066 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6068 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6072 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6073 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6076 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6078 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6079 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6082 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6084 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6085 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6088 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6090 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6091 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6094 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6096 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6099 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6101 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6102 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6105 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6106 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6107 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6110 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6112 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6113 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6116 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6118 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6119 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6122 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6124 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6125 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6128 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6130 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6131 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6135 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6136 set process marks based on article body contents.
6143 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6144 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6145 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6148 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6149 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6150 additional articles.
6156 @kindex / / (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6158 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6159 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6163 @kindex / a (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6165 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6166 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6170 @kindex / x (Summary)
6171 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6172 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6173 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6174 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6179 @kindex / u (Summary)
6181 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6182 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6183 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6184 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6185 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6188 @kindex / m (Summary)
6189 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6190 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6191 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6194 @kindex / t (Summary)
6195 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6196 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6197 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6198 articles younger than that number of days.
6201 @kindex / n (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6203 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6204 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6205 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6208 @kindex / w (Summary)
6209 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6210 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6211 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6215 @kindex / . (Summary)
6216 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6217 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6218 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6221 @kindex / v (Summary)
6222 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6223 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6224 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6227 @kindex / p (Summary)
6228 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6229 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6230 group parameter predicate
6231 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6232 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6236 @kindex M S (Summary)
6237 @kindex / E (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6239 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6243 @kindex / D (Summary)
6244 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6245 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6246 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6249 @kindex / * (Summary)
6250 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6251 Include all cached articles in the limit
6252 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6255 @kindex / d (Summary)
6256 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6257 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6258 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6261 @kindex / M (Summary)
6262 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6263 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6266 @kindex / T (Summary)
6267 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6268 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6271 @kindex / c (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6273 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6274 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6277 @kindex / C (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6279 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6281 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6284 @kindex / N (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6286 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6287 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6290 @kindex / o (Summary)
6291 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6292 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6293 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6301 @cindex article threading
6303 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6304 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6305 hierarchical fashion.
6307 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6308 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6309 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6310 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6311 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6312 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6313 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6315 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6319 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6322 A tree-like article structure.
6325 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6328 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6329 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6330 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6331 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6332 called loose threads.
6334 @item thread gathering
6335 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6337 @item sparse threads
6338 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6339 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6345 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6346 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6350 @node Customizing Threading
6351 @subsection Customizing Threading
6352 @cindex customizing threading
6355 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6356 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6357 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6358 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6363 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6366 @cindex loose threads
6369 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6370 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6371 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6372 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6373 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6374 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6376 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6377 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6378 There are four possible values:
6382 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6383 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6384 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6385 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6386 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6391 @cindex adopting articles
6396 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6397 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6398 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6399 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6402 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6403 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6404 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6405 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6406 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6407 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6408 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6409 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6410 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6411 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6414 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6415 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6416 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6420 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6421 display them after one another.
6424 Don't gather loose threads.
6427 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6428 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6429 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6430 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6431 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6432 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6433 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6434 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6435 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6436 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6437 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6439 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6440 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6441 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6444 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6445 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6446 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6447 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6448 simplification is used.
6450 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6451 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6452 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6453 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6455 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6457 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6463 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6464 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6465 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6466 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6471 (mapconcat 'identity
6472 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6474 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6477 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6480 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6481 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6482 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6483 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6484 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6485 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6487 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6490 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6491 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6492 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6494 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6495 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6498 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6499 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6500 Remove excessive whitespace.
6502 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6503 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6504 Remove all whitespace.
6507 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6510 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6511 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6512 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6513 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6514 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6515 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6516 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6517 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6519 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6520 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6521 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6522 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6523 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6524 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6525 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6526 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6527 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6531 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6532 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6533 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6534 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6536 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6537 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6538 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6541 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6545 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6546 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6552 @node Filling In Threads
6553 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6556 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6557 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6558 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6559 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6560 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6561 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6562 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6563 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6564 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6565 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6566 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6567 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6570 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6571 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6572 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6574 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6575 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6576 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6577 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6578 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6579 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6580 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6581 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6582 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6583 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6584 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6585 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6586 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6587 @code{nil} by default.
6589 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6590 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6591 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6592 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6593 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6594 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6595 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6597 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6598 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6599 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6604 @node More Threading
6605 @subsubsection More Threading
6608 @item gnus-show-threads
6609 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6610 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6611 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6612 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6613 slower and more awkward.
6615 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6616 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6617 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6620 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6621 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6622 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6627 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6628 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6629 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6632 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6633 unread, but you get my drift.)
6636 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6637 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6638 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6639 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6640 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6641 threads are expunged.
6643 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6644 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6645 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6648 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6649 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6650 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6651 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6652 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6653 result in a new thread.
6655 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6656 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6657 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6660 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6661 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6662 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6663 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6664 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6665 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6666 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6667 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6668 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6669 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6670 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6675 @node Low-Level Threading
6676 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6680 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6681 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6682 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6683 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6684 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6685 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6687 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6688 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6689 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6690 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6691 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6692 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6693 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6694 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6695 meaningful. Here's one example:
6698 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6700 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6701 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6703 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6705 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6712 @node Thread Commands
6713 @subsection Thread Commands
6714 @cindex thread commands
6720 @kindex T k (Summary)
6721 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6722 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6723 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6724 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6725 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6730 @kindex T l (Summary)
6731 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6732 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6733 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6734 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6737 @kindex T i (Summary)
6738 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6739 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6740 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6743 @kindex T # (Summary)
6744 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6745 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6746 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6749 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6750 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6751 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6752 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6755 @kindex T T (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6757 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6760 @kindex T s (Summary)
6761 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6762 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6763 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6766 @kindex T h (Summary)
6767 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6768 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6771 @kindex T S (Summary)
6772 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6773 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6776 @kindex T H (Summary)
6777 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6778 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6781 @kindex T t (Summary)
6782 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6783 Re-thread the current article's thread
6784 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6785 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6788 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6789 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6790 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6791 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6795 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6796 understand the numeric prefix.
6801 @kindex T n (Summary)
6803 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6805 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6806 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6807 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6810 @kindex T p (Summary)
6812 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6814 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6815 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6816 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6819 @kindex T d (Summary)
6820 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6821 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6824 @kindex T u (Summary)
6825 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6826 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6829 @kindex T o (Summary)
6830 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6831 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6834 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6835 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6836 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6837 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6838 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6839 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6840 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6841 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6842 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6843 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6844 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6845 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6849 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6850 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6852 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6853 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6854 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6855 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6856 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6857 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6858 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6859 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6860 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6861 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6862 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6863 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6864 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6866 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6867 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6868 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6869 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6870 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6871 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6872 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6873 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6875 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6876 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6877 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6879 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6880 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6881 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6882 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6883 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6884 ascending article order.
6886 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6887 by number, you could do something like:
6890 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6891 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6892 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6893 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6896 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6897 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6898 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6899 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6900 which the articles arrived.
6902 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6906 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6908 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6909 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6912 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6913 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6914 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6915 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6918 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6919 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6920 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6921 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6922 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6923 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6924 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6925 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6926 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6927 variable. It is very similar to the
6928 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6929 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6930 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6931 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6932 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6933 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6934 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6936 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6940 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6941 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6942 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6947 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6948 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6949 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6950 @cindex article pre-fetch
6953 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6954 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6955 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6956 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6957 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6959 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6960 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6962 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6963 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6964 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6965 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6966 connection is blocked.
6968 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6969 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6970 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6971 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6973 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6974 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6975 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6976 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6979 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
6982 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6983 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6984 happen automatically.
6986 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6987 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6988 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6989 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6990 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6991 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6992 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6994 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6995 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6996 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6997 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
6998 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
6999 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7000 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7001 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7002 article data structure as the only parameter.
7004 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7005 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7008 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7009 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7010 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7011 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7014 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7017 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7018 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7019 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7021 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7022 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7023 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7024 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7028 Remove articles when they are read.
7031 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7034 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7036 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7037 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7038 @c from the next group.
7041 @node Article Caching
7042 @section Article Caching
7043 @cindex article caching
7046 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7047 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7048 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7049 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7050 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7052 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7054 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7055 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7056 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7057 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7058 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7059 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7060 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7061 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7063 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7064 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7065 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7066 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7067 as dormant, and don't worry.
7069 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7071 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7072 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7073 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7074 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7075 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7076 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7077 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7078 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7079 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7080 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7082 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7083 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7084 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7085 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7086 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7087 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7088 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7089 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7090 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7091 not then be downloaded by this command.
7093 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7094 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7095 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7096 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7097 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7098 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7100 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7101 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7102 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7103 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7104 variables, the group is not cached.
7106 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7107 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7108 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7109 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7110 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7111 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7112 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7113 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7114 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7117 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7118 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7119 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7120 where, isn't that cool?
7122 @node Persistent Articles
7123 @section Persistent Articles
7124 @cindex persistent articles
7126 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7127 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7128 useful in my opinion.
7130 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7131 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7132 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7133 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7134 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7135 the expiry going on at the news server.
7137 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7138 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7139 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7145 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7146 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7149 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7150 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7151 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7152 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7156 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7158 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7159 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7160 interested in persistent articles:
7163 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7167 @node Article Backlog
7168 @section Article Backlog
7170 @cindex article backlog
7172 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7173 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7174 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7175 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7176 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7177 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7178 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7179 increase memory usage some.
7181 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7182 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7183 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7184 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7185 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7186 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7187 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7189 The default value is 20.
7192 @node Saving Articles
7193 @section Saving Articles
7194 @cindex saving articles
7196 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7197 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7198 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7199 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7200 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7202 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7203 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7204 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7206 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7207 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7208 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7210 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7211 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7212 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7213 deleted before saving.
7219 @kindex O o (Summary)
7221 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7222 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7223 Save the current article using the default article saver
7224 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7227 @kindex O m (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7229 Save the current article in mail format
7230 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7233 @kindex O r (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7235 Save the current article in rmail format
7236 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7239 @kindex O f (Summary)
7240 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7241 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7242 Save the current article in plain file format
7243 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7246 @kindex O F (Summary)
7247 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7248 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7249 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7252 @kindex O b (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7254 Save the current article body in plain file format
7255 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7258 @kindex O h (Summary)
7259 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7260 Save the current article in mh folder format
7261 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7264 @kindex O v (Summary)
7265 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7266 Save the current article in a VM folder
7267 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7271 @kindex O p (Summary)
7273 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7274 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7275 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7276 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7277 complete headers in the piped output.
7280 @kindex O P (Summary)
7281 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7282 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7283 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7284 external program Muttprint (see
7285 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7286 options to use is controlled by the variable
7287 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7291 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7292 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7293 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7294 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7295 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7296 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7297 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7298 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7299 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7300 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7301 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7302 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7306 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7307 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7308 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7309 functions below, or you can create your own.
7313 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7314 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7315 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7316 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7317 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7318 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7319 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7321 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7322 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7323 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7324 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7325 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7326 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7328 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7329 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7330 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7331 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7332 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7333 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7334 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7336 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7337 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7338 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7339 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7340 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7341 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7343 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7344 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7345 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7346 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7347 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7349 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7350 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7351 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7352 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7353 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7356 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7357 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7358 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7359 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7360 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7362 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7363 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7364 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7365 reader to use this setting.
7368 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7369 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7370 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7371 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7374 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7375 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7376 available functions that generate names:
7380 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7381 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7382 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7384 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7385 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7386 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7388 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7389 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7390 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7392 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7393 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7394 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7396 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7397 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7398 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7401 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7402 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7403 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7404 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7405 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7409 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7410 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7411 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7412 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7415 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7416 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7417 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7418 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7419 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7420 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7421 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7422 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7423 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7425 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7426 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7427 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7428 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7430 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7431 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7432 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7435 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7436 lots of mail groups called things like
7437 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7438 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7439 following will do just that:
7442 (defun my-save-name (group)
7443 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7444 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7446 (setq gnus-split-methods
7447 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7452 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7453 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7454 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7455 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7456 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7457 all the files in the top level directory
7458 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7459 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7460 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7461 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7463 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7464 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7465 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7466 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7467 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7470 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7474 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7475 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7476 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7479 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7480 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7481 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7482 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7485 @node Decoding Articles
7486 @section Decoding Articles
7487 @cindex decoding articles
7489 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7490 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7493 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7494 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7495 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7496 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7497 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7498 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7502 @cindex article series
7503 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7504 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7505 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7506 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7507 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7509 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7510 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7511 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7513 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7514 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7515 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7517 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7518 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7519 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7522 @node Uuencoded Articles
7523 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7525 @cindex uuencoded articles
7530 @kindex X u (Summary)
7531 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7532 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7533 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7536 @kindex X U (Summary)
7537 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7538 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7539 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7542 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7543 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7544 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7547 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7548 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7549 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7550 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7554 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7555 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7556 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7557 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7558 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7560 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7561 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7562 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7563 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7566 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7567 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7568 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7569 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7570 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7571 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7575 @node Shell Archives
7576 @subsection Shell Archives
7578 @cindex shell archives
7579 @cindex shared articles
7581 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7582 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7583 some commands to deal with these:
7588 @kindex X s (Summary)
7589 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7590 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7593 @kindex X S (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7595 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7598 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7599 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7600 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7603 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7604 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7605 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7606 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7610 @node PostScript Files
7611 @subsection PostScript Files
7617 @kindex X p (Summary)
7618 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7619 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7622 @kindex X P (Summary)
7623 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7624 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7625 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7628 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7629 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7630 View the current PostScript series
7631 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7634 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7635 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7636 View and save the current PostScript series
7637 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7642 @subsection Other Files
7646 @kindex X o (Summary)
7647 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7648 Save the current series
7649 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7652 @kindex X b (Summary)
7653 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7654 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7655 doesn't really work yet.
7659 @node Decoding Variables
7660 @subsection Decoding Variables
7662 Adjective, not verb.
7665 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7666 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7667 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7671 @node Rule Variables
7672 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7673 @cindex rule variables
7675 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7676 variables are of the form
7679 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7686 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7687 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7689 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7690 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7693 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7694 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7697 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7698 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7699 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7700 user and default view rules.
7702 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7703 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7704 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7709 @node Other Decode Variables
7710 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7713 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7715 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7716 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7717 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7718 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7719 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7723 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7724 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7727 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7728 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7729 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7732 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7733 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7734 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7735 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7736 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7739 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7740 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7741 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7743 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7744 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7745 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7746 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7747 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7750 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7751 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7752 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7754 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7755 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7756 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7757 looking for files to display.
7759 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7760 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7761 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7764 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7765 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7766 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7769 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7770 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7771 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7774 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7775 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7776 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7779 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7781 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7782 decoded articles as unread.
7784 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7785 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7786 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7787 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7789 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7790 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7791 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7793 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7794 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7796 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7797 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7798 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7799 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7801 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7802 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7803 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7804 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7805 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7806 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7807 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7808 simply dropped them.
7813 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7814 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7818 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7819 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7820 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7821 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7822 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7823 for you when you post the article.
7825 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7826 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7827 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7828 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7830 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7831 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7832 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7833 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7834 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7835 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7836 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7838 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7839 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7840 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7841 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7842 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7843 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7844 Default is @code{t}.
7850 @subsection Viewing Files
7851 @cindex viewing files
7852 @cindex pseudo-articles
7854 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7855 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7856 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7857 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7858 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7859 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7860 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7862 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7863 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7864 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7865 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7867 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7868 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7869 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7871 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7872 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7873 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7874 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7875 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7877 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7878 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7879 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7880 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7881 a list of parameters to that command.
7883 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7884 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7885 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7887 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7888 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7889 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7892 @node Article Treatment
7893 @section Article Treatment
7895 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7896 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7897 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7898 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7899 these articles easier.
7902 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7903 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7904 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7905 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7906 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7907 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7908 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7909 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7910 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7911 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7915 @node Article Highlighting
7916 @subsection Article Highlighting
7917 @cindex highlighting
7919 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7920 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7925 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7926 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7927 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7928 Do much highlighting of the current article
7929 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7930 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7933 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7934 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7935 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7936 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7937 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7938 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7939 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7940 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7941 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7942 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7943 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7944 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7947 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7948 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7949 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7951 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7954 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7956 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7957 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7958 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7960 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7961 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7962 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7964 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7965 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7966 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7967 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7968 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7969 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7971 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7972 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7973 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7975 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7976 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7977 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7979 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7980 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7981 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7982 that it's a citation.
7984 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7985 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7986 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7988 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7989 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7990 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7992 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7993 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7994 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7995 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8001 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8002 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8003 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8004 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8005 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8006 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8007 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8008 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8013 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8016 @node Article Fontisizing
8017 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8019 @cindex article emphasis
8021 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8022 @kindex W e (Summary)
8023 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8024 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8025 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8026 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8028 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8029 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8030 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8031 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8032 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8033 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8034 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8035 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8039 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8040 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8041 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8050 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8051 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8052 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8053 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8054 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8055 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8056 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8057 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8058 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8059 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8060 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8061 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8062 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8064 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8065 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8066 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8070 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8073 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8075 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8076 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8077 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8078 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8080 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8083 @node Article Hiding
8084 @subsection Article Hiding
8085 @cindex article hiding
8087 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8088 too much cruft in most articles.
8093 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-article-hide
8095 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8096 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8097 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8100 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8101 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8102 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8106 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8107 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8108 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8109 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8112 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8113 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8114 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8118 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8119 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8120 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8121 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8122 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8123 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8124 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8125 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8129 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8130 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8131 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8132 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8137 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8138 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8139 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8140 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8143 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8144 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8145 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8146 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8149 @cindex stripping advertisements
8150 @cindex advertisements
8151 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8152 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8153 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8154 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8155 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8156 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8157 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8158 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8159 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8160 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8163 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8164 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8165 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8169 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8170 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8171 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8172 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8173 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8174 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8175 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8176 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8177 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8178 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8179 following element to remove them:
8182 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8188 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8189 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8190 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8191 customizing the hiding:
8195 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8196 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8197 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8198 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8199 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8200 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8201 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8206 Starting point of the hidden text.
8208 Ending point of the hidden text.
8210 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8212 Number of lines of hidden text.
8215 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8216 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8217 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8218 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8219 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8224 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8225 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8227 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8228 following two variables:
8231 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8232 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8233 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8234 50), hide the cited text.
8236 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8237 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8238 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8243 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8244 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8245 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8246 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8247 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8248 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8252 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8253 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8254 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8256 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8257 citation customization.
8259 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8263 @node Article Washing
8264 @subsection Article Washing
8266 @cindex article washing
8268 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8269 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8271 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8272 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8275 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8276 articles by default.
8281 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8282 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8286 Force redisplaying of the current article
8287 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8288 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8289 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8290 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8293 @kindex W l (Summary)
8294 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8295 Remove page breaks from the current article
8296 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8300 @kindex W r (Summary)
8301 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8302 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8303 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8304 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8305 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8306 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8308 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8309 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8310 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8311 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8314 @kindex W m (Summary)
8315 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8316 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8320 @kindex W t (Summary)
8322 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8323 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8324 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8327 @kindex W v (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8329 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8330 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8333 @kindex W m (Summary)
8334 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8335 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8336 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8339 @kindex W o (Summary)
8340 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8341 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8344 @kindex W d (Summary)
8345 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8346 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8348 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8350 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8351 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8352 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8353 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8356 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8357 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8358 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8359 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8362 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8364 @cindex Outlook Express
8365 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8366 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8367 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8370 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8371 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8372 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8373 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8374 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8375 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8376 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8377 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8378 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8379 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8382 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8383 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8384 Repair a broken attribution line.
8385 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8388 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8389 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8390 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8391 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8394 @kindex W w (Summary)
8395 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8396 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8398 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8402 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8404 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8407 @kindex W C (Summary)
8408 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8409 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8410 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8413 @kindex W c (Summary)
8414 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8415 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8416 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8417 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8418 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8421 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8422 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8423 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8424 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8425 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8426 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8427 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8429 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8432 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8433 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8434 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8435 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8436 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8439 @kindex W u (Summary)
8440 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8441 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8442 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8443 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8444 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8447 @kindex W h (Summary)
8448 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8449 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8450 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8451 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8453 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8455 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8456 The default is to use the function specified by
8457 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8458 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8459 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8460 you can use include:
8467 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8471 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8474 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8477 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8482 @kindex W b (Summary)
8483 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8484 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8485 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8488 @kindex W B (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8490 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8491 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8494 @kindex W p (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8496 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8497 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8498 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8499 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8500 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8501 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8504 @kindex W s (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8506 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8507 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8510 @kindex W a (Summary)
8511 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8512 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8513 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8516 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8517 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8518 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8519 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8522 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8523 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8524 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8525 lines with a single empty line.
8526 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8529 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8530 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8531 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8532 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8535 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8536 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8537 Do all the three commands above
8538 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8541 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8543 Remove all blank lines
8544 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8547 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8548 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8549 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8550 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8553 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8554 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8555 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8556 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8560 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8563 @node Article Header
8564 @subsection Article Header
8566 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8571 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8572 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8573 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8576 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8577 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8578 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8579 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8582 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8584 Fold all the message headers
8585 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8589 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8590 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8591 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8596 @node Article Buttons
8597 @subsection Article Buttons
8600 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8601 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8602 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8603 button on these references.
8605 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8606 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8607 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8608 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8609 one that handles article heads:
8613 @item gnus-button-alist
8614 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8615 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8618 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8624 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8625 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8626 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8627 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8628 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8631 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8632 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8633 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8636 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8637 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8638 avoid false matches.
8641 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8644 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8645 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8649 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8652 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8655 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8656 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8657 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8658 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8659 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8662 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8665 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8667 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8668 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8669 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8670 default values of the variables above.
8672 @item gnus-article-button-face
8673 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8674 Face used on buttons.
8676 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8677 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8678 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8682 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8686 @subsection Article Date
8688 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8689 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8690 when the article was sent.
8695 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8696 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8697 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8698 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8701 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8702 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8704 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8705 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8708 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8709 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8710 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8713 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8714 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8715 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8716 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8719 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8720 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8721 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8722 @findex format-time-string
8723 Display the date using a user-defined format
8724 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8725 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8726 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8727 for a list of possible format specs.
8730 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8731 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8732 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8733 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8734 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8735 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8738 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8741 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8742 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8743 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8746 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8747 into wonderful absurdities.
8749 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8752 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8755 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8756 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8760 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8761 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8762 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8763 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8764 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8765 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8766 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8770 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8771 preferred format automatically.
8774 @node Article Display
8775 @subsection Article Display
8780 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8781 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8783 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8784 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8786 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8787 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8789 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8790 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8792 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8797 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8798 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8799 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8800 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8803 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8804 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8805 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8806 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8809 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8810 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8811 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8814 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8815 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8816 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8819 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8821 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8822 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8825 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8827 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8828 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8831 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8832 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8833 Remove all images from the article buffer
8834 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8840 @node Article Signature
8841 @subsection Article Signature
8843 @cindex article signature
8845 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8846 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8847 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8848 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8849 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8850 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8851 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8852 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8853 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8856 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8857 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8858 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8859 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8860 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8861 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8862 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8863 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8866 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8869 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8870 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8871 signature when displaying articles.
8875 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8878 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8881 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8882 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8884 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8885 in question is not a signature.
8888 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8889 listed above. Here's an example:
8892 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8893 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8896 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8897 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8898 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8899 signature after all.
8902 @node Article Miscellania
8903 @subsection Article Miscellania
8907 @kindex A t (Summary)
8908 @findex gnus-article-babel
8909 Translate the article from one language to another
8910 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8916 @section MIME Commands
8917 @cindex MIME decoding
8919 @cindex viewing attachments
8921 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8922 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8928 @kindex K v (Summary)
8929 View the @sc{mime} part.
8932 @kindex K o (Summary)
8933 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8936 @kindex K c (Summary)
8937 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8940 @kindex K e (Summary)
8941 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8944 @kindex K i (Summary)
8945 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8948 @kindex K | (Summary)
8949 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8952 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8957 @kindex K b (Summary)
8958 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8959 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8963 @kindex K m (Summary)
8964 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8965 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8966 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8967 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8968 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8971 @kindex X m (Summary)
8972 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8973 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8974 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8975 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8978 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8979 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8980 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8981 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8984 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8985 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8986 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8987 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8990 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8991 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8992 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8993 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8995 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8996 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8997 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8998 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8999 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9000 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9003 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9004 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9005 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9006 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9013 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9014 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9015 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9016 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9019 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9022 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9026 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9027 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9028 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9029 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9030 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9031 default is @code{nil}.
9033 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9034 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9035 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9036 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9037 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9038 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9039 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9041 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9042 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9043 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9044 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9045 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9046 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9047 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9048 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9050 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9051 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9052 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9053 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9054 displayed. This variable overrides
9055 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9056 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9059 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9060 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9061 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9063 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9064 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9065 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9066 value is @code{nil}.
9068 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9069 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9070 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9071 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9072 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9073 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9074 save all jpegs into some directory).
9076 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9079 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9080 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9082 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9083 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9084 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9085 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9086 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9089 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9090 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9091 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9093 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9094 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9095 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9096 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9098 Ready-made functions include@*
9099 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9100 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9101 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9102 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9103 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9104 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9105 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9106 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9107 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9108 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9109 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9110 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9112 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9113 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9115 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9116 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9117 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9120 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9121 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9122 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9123 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9127 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9136 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9137 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9138 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9139 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9140 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9141 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9142 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9144 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9145 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9146 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9147 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9149 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9150 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9151 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9152 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9153 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9154 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9155 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9156 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9157 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9159 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9160 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9161 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9162 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9163 quoted-printable header encoding.
9165 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9166 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9167 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9171 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9174 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9175 means encode all charsets),
9177 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9178 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9179 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9186 @cindex coding system aliases
9187 @cindex preferred charset
9189 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9191 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9192 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9195 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9196 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9199 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9200 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9202 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9205 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9208 This will almost do the right thing.
9210 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9214 (codepage-setup 1251)
9215 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9219 @node Article Commands
9220 @section Article Commands
9227 @kindex A P (Summary)
9228 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9229 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9230 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9231 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9232 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9233 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9238 @node Summary Sorting
9239 @section Summary Sorting
9240 @cindex summary sorting
9242 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9243 can't really see why you'd want that.
9248 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9249 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9250 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9253 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9254 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9255 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9258 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9259 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9260 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9263 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9264 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9265 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9268 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9269 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9270 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9273 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9274 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9275 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9278 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9279 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9280 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9283 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9284 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9285 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9288 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9289 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9290 Sort using the default sorting method
9291 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9294 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9295 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9296 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9297 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9298 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9302 @node Finding the Parent
9303 @section Finding the Parent
9304 @cindex parent articles
9305 @cindex referring articles
9310 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9311 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9312 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9313 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9314 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9315 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9316 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9317 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9318 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9320 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9321 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9322 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9323 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9324 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9328 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9329 @kindex A R (Summary)
9330 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9331 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9334 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9335 @kindex A T (Summary)
9336 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9337 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9338 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9339 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9340 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9341 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9342 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9344 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9345 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9346 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9347 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9348 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9349 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9352 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9353 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9355 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9356 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9357 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9358 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9359 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9360 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9361 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9364 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9365 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9366 by giving this command a prefix.
9368 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9369 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9370 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9371 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9372 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9373 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9376 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9377 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9378 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9381 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9382 then ask Google if that fails:
9385 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9387 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9390 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9391 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9392 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9393 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9394 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9395 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9396 support this at all.
9399 @node Alternative Approaches
9400 @section Alternative Approaches
9402 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9403 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9406 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9407 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9412 @subsection Pick and Read
9413 @cindex pick and read
9415 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9416 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9417 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9418 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9420 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9421 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9422 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9423 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9424 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9425 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9427 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9432 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9433 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9434 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9435 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9436 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9437 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9438 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9439 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9442 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9443 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9444 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9445 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9449 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9450 Unpick the thread or article
9451 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9452 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9453 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9454 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9455 the thread or article at that line.
9459 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9460 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9461 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9462 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9463 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9464 will still be visible when you are reading.
9468 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9469 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9470 which is mapped to the same function
9471 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9473 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9476 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9479 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9480 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9482 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9483 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9484 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9486 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9487 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9488 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9489 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9490 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9491 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9492 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9496 @subsection Binary Groups
9497 @cindex binary groups
9499 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9500 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9501 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9502 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9503 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9504 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9505 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9508 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9509 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9510 command, when you have turned on this mode
9511 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9513 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9514 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9518 @section Tree Display
9521 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9522 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9523 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9524 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9527 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9530 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9531 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9532 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9534 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9535 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9536 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9537 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9538 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9540 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9541 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9542 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9543 default is @code{modeline}.
9545 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9546 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9547 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9548 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9549 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9550 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9551 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9557 The name of the poster.
9559 The @code{From} header.
9561 The number of the article.
9563 The opening bracket.
9565 The closing bracket.
9570 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9572 Variables related to the display are:
9575 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9576 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9577 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9578 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9579 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9580 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9582 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9583 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9584 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9585 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9589 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9590 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9591 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9592 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9593 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9594 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9595 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9596 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9597 other windows displayed next to it.
9599 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9603 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9604 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9607 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9608 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9609 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9610 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9611 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9612 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9613 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9617 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9620 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9630 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9634 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9635 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9637 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9639 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9644 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9645 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9646 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9649 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9650 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9651 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9652 (gnus-add-configuration
9656 (summary 0.75 point)
9661 @xref{Window Layout}.
9664 @node Mail Group Commands
9665 @section Mail Group Commands
9666 @cindex mail group commands
9668 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9669 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9671 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9672 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9677 @kindex B e (Summary)
9678 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9679 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9680 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9681 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9682 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9685 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9686 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9687 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9688 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9689 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9690 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9693 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9695 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9696 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9697 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9698 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9701 @kindex B m (Summary)
9703 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9704 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9705 Move the article from one mail group to another
9706 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9707 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9710 @kindex B c (Summary)
9712 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9713 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9714 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9715 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9716 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9719 @kindex B B (Summary)
9720 @cindex crosspost mail
9721 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9722 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9723 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9724 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9725 be properly updated.
9728 @kindex B i (Summary)
9729 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9730 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9731 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9732 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9735 @kindex B I (Summary)
9736 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9737 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9738 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9739 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9742 @kindex B r (Summary)
9743 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9744 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9745 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9746 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9747 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9748 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9749 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9750 (which is the default).
9754 @kindex B w (Summary)
9756 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9757 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9758 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9759 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9760 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9761 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9762 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9765 @kindex B q (Summary)
9766 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9767 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9768 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9769 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9772 @kindex B t (Summary)
9773 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9774 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9775 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9778 @kindex B p (Summary)
9779 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9780 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9781 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9782 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9783 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9784 article from your news server (or rather, from
9785 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9786 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9787 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9788 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9789 just not have arrived yet.
9792 @kindex K E (Summary)
9793 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9794 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9795 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9796 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9797 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9801 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9802 @cindex moving articles
9803 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9804 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9805 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9806 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9807 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9808 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9809 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9812 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9813 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9814 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9815 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9819 @node Various Summary Stuff
9820 @section Various Summary Stuff
9823 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9824 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9825 * Summary Generation Commands::
9826 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9830 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9831 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9832 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9833 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9834 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9835 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
9837 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9838 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9839 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9841 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9842 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9843 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9844 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9845 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9846 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9849 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9850 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9851 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9852 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9853 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9855 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9856 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9857 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9860 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9861 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9862 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9863 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9864 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9865 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9866 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9867 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9868 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9869 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9871 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9872 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9873 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9874 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9875 list of articles to be selected.
9877 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9878 the list in one particular group:
9881 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9882 (if (string= group "some.group")
9883 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9887 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9888 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9889 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9890 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9891 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9892 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9893 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9894 buffers. For example:
9897 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9898 '(message-use-followup-to
9899 (gnus-visible-headers .
9900 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9906 @node Summary Group Information
9907 @subsection Summary Group Information
9912 @kindex H f (Summary)
9913 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9914 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9915 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9916 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9917 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9918 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9919 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9920 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9921 be used for fetching the file.
9924 @kindex H d (Summary)
9925 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9926 Give a brief description of the current group
9927 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9928 rereading the description from the server.
9931 @kindex H h (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9933 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9934 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9937 @kindex H i (Summary)
9938 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9939 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9943 @node Searching for Articles
9944 @subsection Searching for Articles
9949 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9950 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9951 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9952 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9955 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9956 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9957 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9958 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9962 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9963 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9964 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9965 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9966 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9967 search backward instead.
9969 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9970 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9973 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9974 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9975 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9976 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9979 @node Summary Generation Commands
9980 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9985 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9986 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9987 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9990 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9991 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9992 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9993 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9996 @kindex Y d (Summary)
9997 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
9998 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9999 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10004 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10005 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10011 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10012 @kindex A D (Summary)
10013 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10014 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10015 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10016 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10017 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10018 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10019 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10020 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10024 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10025 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10026 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10027 several documents into one biiig group
10028 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10029 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10030 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10031 command understands the process/prefix convention
10032 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10035 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10036 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10037 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10038 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10039 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10040 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10043 @kindex = (Summary)
10044 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10045 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10046 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10049 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10050 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10051 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10052 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10055 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10056 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10057 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10058 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10063 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10064 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10065 @cindex summary exit
10066 @cindex exiting groups
10068 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10069 group and return you to the group buffer.
10075 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10076 @kindex q (Summary)
10077 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10078 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10079 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10080 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10081 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10082 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10083 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10084 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10085 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10086 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10087 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10088 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10092 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10093 @kindex Q (Summary)
10094 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10095 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10096 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10100 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10101 @kindex c (Summary)
10102 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10103 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10104 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10105 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10108 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10109 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10110 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10111 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10114 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10115 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10116 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10117 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10120 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10121 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10122 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10123 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10124 all articles, both read and unread.
10128 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10129 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10130 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10131 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10132 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10133 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10134 articles, both read and unread.
10137 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10139 Exit the group and go to the next group
10140 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10143 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10144 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10145 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10146 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10149 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10150 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10151 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10152 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10153 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10154 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10157 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10158 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10159 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10160 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10162 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10163 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10164 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10165 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10166 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10167 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10168 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10169 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10170 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10171 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10172 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10173 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10175 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10177 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10178 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10179 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10180 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10181 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10182 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10183 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10184 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10185 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10188 @node Crosspost Handling
10189 @section Crosspost Handling
10193 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10194 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10195 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10196 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10197 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10198 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10201 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10202 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10203 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10204 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10205 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10207 @cindex cross-posting
10210 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10211 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10212 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10213 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10214 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10215 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10216 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10217 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10218 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10219 the cross reference mechanism.
10221 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10222 @cindex overview.fmt
10223 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10224 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10225 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10226 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10227 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10228 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10231 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10232 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10233 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10238 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10241 @node Duplicate Suppression
10242 @section Duplicate Suppression
10244 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10245 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10246 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10247 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10252 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10253 is evil and not very common.
10256 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10257 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10260 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10261 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10264 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10267 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10268 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10270 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10271 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10272 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10273 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10274 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10275 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10276 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10279 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10280 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10281 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10282 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10283 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10284 saw the article in.
10287 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10288 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10289 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10291 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10292 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10293 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10294 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10295 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10296 session are suppressed.
10298 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10299 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10300 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10301 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10303 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10304 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10305 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10306 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10309 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10310 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10311 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10312 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10313 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10314 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10315 to you to figure out, I think.
10320 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10321 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10322 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10326 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10327 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10328 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10329 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10332 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10333 or newer is recommended.
10337 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10338 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10341 @item mm-verify-option
10342 @vindex mm-verify-option
10343 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10344 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10345 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10347 @item mm-decrypt-option
10348 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10349 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10350 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10351 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10354 @vindex mml1991-use
10355 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10356 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10357 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10360 @vindex mml2015-use
10361 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10362 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10363 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10368 @section Mailing List
10370 @kindex A M (summary)
10371 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10372 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10373 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10374 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10377 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10382 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10383 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10384 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10387 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10388 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10389 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10392 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10393 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10394 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10398 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10399 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10400 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10403 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10404 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10405 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10408 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10409 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10410 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10414 @node Article Buffer
10415 @chapter Article Buffer
10416 @cindex article buffer
10418 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10419 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10420 tell gnus otherwise.
10423 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10424 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10425 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10426 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10427 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10431 @node Hiding Headers
10432 @section Hiding Headers
10433 @cindex hiding headers
10434 @cindex deleting headers
10436 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10437 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10439 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10440 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10441 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10442 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10443 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10444 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10445 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10446 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10447 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10449 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10453 @item gnus-visible-headers
10454 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10455 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10456 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10457 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10459 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10460 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10463 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10466 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10469 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10470 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10471 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10472 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10473 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10474 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10476 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10477 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10480 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10483 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10486 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10487 variable will have no effect.
10491 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10492 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10493 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10494 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10495 the headers are to be displayed.
10497 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10498 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10501 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10504 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10505 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10507 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10508 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10509 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10510 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10511 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10512 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10513 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10516 These conditions are:
10519 Remove all empty headers.
10521 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10522 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10524 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10525 @code{From} header.
10527 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10530 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10531 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10533 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10536 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10538 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10541 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10544 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10545 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10548 This is also the default value for this variable.
10552 @section Using MIME
10555 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10556 while people stand around yawning.
10558 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10559 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10561 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10562 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10563 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10565 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10566 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10567 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10568 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10569 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10570 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10571 calls the @sc{semi} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10572 information on @sc{semi} MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is
10573 not existed yet, sorry).
10575 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10576 @sc{mime} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set, then
10577 you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10578 These can't be avoided.
10580 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10581 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10582 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10583 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10584 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10585 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10586 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10587 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10588 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10591 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10593 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10594 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10595 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10596 buffer when there are nobody else.
10598 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10601 @node Customizing Articles
10602 @section Customizing Articles
10603 @cindex article customization
10605 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10606 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10607 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10608 called automatically when you select the articles.
10610 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10611 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10612 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10613 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10615 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10616 for sensible values.
10620 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10623 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10626 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10629 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10632 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10636 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10637 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10638 regexps in the list.
10641 A list where the first element is not a string:
10643 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10644 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10645 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10649 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10653 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10658 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10659 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10660 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10661 considered to contain just a single part.
10663 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10664 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10665 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10666 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10667 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10668 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10669 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10671 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10672 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10673 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10674 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10677 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10678 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10680 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10682 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10683 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10684 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10685 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10686 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10687 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10688 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10689 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10690 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10691 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10692 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10694 @xref{Article Washing}.
10696 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10697 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10698 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10699 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10700 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10701 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10702 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10704 @xref{Article Date}.
10706 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10707 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10708 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10712 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10714 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10716 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10717 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10718 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10722 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10726 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10727 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10728 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10729 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10730 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10731 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10732 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10733 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10735 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10737 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10738 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10739 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10741 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10743 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10744 @item gnus-treat-translate
10745 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10747 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10748 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10749 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10750 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10752 @xref{Article Header}.
10757 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10758 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10759 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10760 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10761 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10765 @node Article Keymap
10766 @section Article Keymap
10768 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10769 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10770 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10771 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10774 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10779 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10780 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10781 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10782 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
10785 @kindex DEL (Article)
10786 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10787 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10788 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
10791 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10792 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10793 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10794 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10795 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10798 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10799 @findex gnus-article-mail
10800 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10801 given a prefix, include the mail.
10804 @kindex s (Article)
10805 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10806 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10807 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10810 @kindex ? (Article)
10811 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10812 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10813 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10816 @kindex TAB (Article)
10817 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10818 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10819 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10822 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10823 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10824 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10827 @kindex R (Article)
10828 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10829 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10830 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10831 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10835 @kindex F (Article)
10836 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10837 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10838 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10839 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10847 @section Misc Article
10851 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10852 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10853 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10854 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10857 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10858 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10860 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10861 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10863 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10864 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10865 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10866 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10867 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10868 the contents of the article buffer.
10870 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10871 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10872 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10874 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10875 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10876 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10877 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10879 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10880 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10881 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10882 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10883 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10889 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10890 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10891 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10896 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10899 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10902 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10903 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10904 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10907 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10910 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10913 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10918 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10922 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10924 @item gnus-break-pages
10925 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10926 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10927 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10928 paging will not be done.
10930 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10931 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10932 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10937 @node Composing Messages
10938 @chapter Composing Messages
10939 @cindex composing messages
10942 @cindex sending mail
10947 @cindex using s/mime
10948 @cindex using smime
10950 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10951 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10952 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10953 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10954 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10955 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10958 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10959 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10960 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10961 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10962 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10963 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10964 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10965 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10968 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10969 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10975 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10978 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10979 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10980 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10981 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
10982 @code{nil} include all headers.
10984 @item gnus-add-to-list
10985 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10986 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10987 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10989 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10990 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10991 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
10992 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
10993 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
10994 confirmation is should be asked for.
10996 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10997 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10999 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11000 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11001 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11002 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11003 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11008 @node Posting Server
11009 @section Posting Server
11011 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11012 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11014 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11016 It can be quite complicated.
11018 @vindex gnus-post-method
11019 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11020 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11021 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11022 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11023 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11024 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11025 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11026 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11027 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11030 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11033 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11034 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11035 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11036 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11038 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11039 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11041 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11042 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11045 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11046 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11048 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11049 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11050 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11051 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11052 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11053 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11054 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11055 package correctly. An example:
11058 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11059 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11060 ;; The following variable needs to be set because of the FLIM version of
11061 ;; smtpmail.el. Which smtpmail.el is used depends on the `load-path'.
11062 (setq smtp-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11065 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11066 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11067 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11069 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11070 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11071 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11073 @node Mail and Post
11074 @section Mail and Post
11076 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11080 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11081 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11082 @cindex mailing lists
11084 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11085 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11086 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11087 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11088 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11089 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11090 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11091 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11092 still a pain, though.
11094 @item gnus-user-agent
11095 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11098 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11099 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{full} (show full
11100 information, i.e. Emacs and Gnus version and system configuration),
11101 @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus version),
11102 @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system type),
11103 @code{gnus} (show only Gnus version) or a custom string. If you set it
11104 to a string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11108 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11109 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11110 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11113 @findex ispell-message
11115 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11118 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11119 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11122 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11126 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11127 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11129 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11132 Modify to suit your needs.
11135 @node Archived Messages
11136 @section Archived Messages
11137 @cindex archived messages
11138 @cindex sent messages
11140 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11141 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11142 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11143 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11146 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11147 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11150 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11151 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11152 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11155 (nnfolder "archive"
11156 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11157 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11158 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11159 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11162 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11163 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11164 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11165 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11168 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11169 '(nnfolder "archive"
11170 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11171 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11172 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11175 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11177 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11178 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11179 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11181 This variable can be used to do the following:
11186 Messages will be saved in that group.
11188 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11189 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11190 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11191 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11192 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11193 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11194 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11195 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11199 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11201 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11202 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11205 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11210 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11212 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11215 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11217 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11220 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11222 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11223 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11224 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11225 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11228 More complex stuff:
11230 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11231 '((if (message-news-p)
11236 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11237 messages in one file per month:
11240 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11241 '((if (message-news-p)
11243 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11246 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11247 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11249 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11250 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11251 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11252 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11253 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11254 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11255 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11256 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11257 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11258 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11260 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11261 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11262 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11263 this will disable archiving.
11266 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11267 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11268 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11269 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11270 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11273 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11274 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11275 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11278 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11279 but the latter is the preferred method.
11281 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11282 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11283 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11285 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11286 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11287 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11288 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11289 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11290 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11291 changed in the future.
11296 @node Posting Styles
11297 @section Posting Styles
11298 @cindex posting styles
11301 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11303 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11304 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11305 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11308 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11309 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11310 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11311 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11312 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11317 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11318 (organization "What me?"))
11320 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11321 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11322 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11325 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11326 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11327 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11328 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11329 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11330 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11331 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11332 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11334 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11335 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11336 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11337 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11338 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11339 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11340 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11341 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11342 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11343 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11344 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11345 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11346 said to @dfn{match}.
11348 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11349 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11350 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11351 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11352 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11353 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11354 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11355 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11356 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11357 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11360 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11361 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11362 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11363 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11364 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11365 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11366 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11367 references chars lines xref extra.
11369 @vindex message-reply-headers
11371 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11372 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11373 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11375 @findex message-mail-p
11376 @findex message-news-p
11378 So here's a new example:
11381 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11383 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11385 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11386 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11388 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11389 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11390 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11391 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11392 (signature my-news-signature))
11393 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11394 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11395 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11396 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11397 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11398 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11399 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11400 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11401 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11402 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11404 (From (save-excursion
11405 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11406 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11408 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11411 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11412 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11413 if you fill many roles.
11415 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11416 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11417 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11418 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11419 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11420 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11421 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11422 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11427 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11429 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11431 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11432 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11435 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11438 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11439 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11446 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11447 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11448 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11449 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11450 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11452 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11453 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11454 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11455 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11456 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11460 @vindex nndraft-directory
11461 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11462 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11463 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11464 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11465 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11466 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11468 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11469 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11472 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11473 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11474 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11475 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11476 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11477 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11478 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11479 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11480 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11481 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11482 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11483 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11484 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11485 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11487 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11488 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11489 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11491 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11492 @kindex D e (Draft)
11493 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11494 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11495 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11497 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11500 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11501 @kindex D s (Draft)
11502 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11503 @kindex D S (Draft)
11504 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11505 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11506 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11507 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11508 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11511 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11512 @kindex D t (Draft)
11513 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11514 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11515 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11518 @node Rejected Articles
11519 @section Rejected Articles
11520 @cindex rejected articles
11522 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11523 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11524 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11525 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11527 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11528 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11529 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11530 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11531 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11533 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11534 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11535 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11537 @node Signing and encrypting
11538 @section Signing and encrypting
11540 @cindex using s/mime
11541 @cindex using smime
11543 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11544 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11545 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11546 (@pxref{Security}).
11548 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11549 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11550 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11551 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11552 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11553 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11554 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11555 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11556 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11557 automatically encrypted messages.
11559 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11560 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11561 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11566 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11567 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11569 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11572 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11573 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11575 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11578 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11579 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11581 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11584 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11585 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11587 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11590 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11591 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11593 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11596 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11597 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11599 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11602 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11603 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11604 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11608 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11610 @node Select Methods
11611 @chapter Select Methods
11612 @cindex foreign groups
11613 @cindex select methods
11615 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11616 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11617 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11618 personal mail group.
11620 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11621 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11622 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11623 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11624 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11625 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11627 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11628 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11630 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11633 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11634 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11635 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11636 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11637 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11639 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11642 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11643 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11644 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11645 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11646 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11647 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11648 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11649 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11653 @node Server Buffer
11654 @section Server Buffer
11656 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11657 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11658 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11659 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11660 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11661 back end represents a virtual server.
11663 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11664 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11665 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11666 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11668 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11669 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11670 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11671 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11672 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11673 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11674 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11676 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11677 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11680 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11681 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11682 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11683 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11684 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11685 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11686 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11689 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11690 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11693 @node Server Buffer Format
11694 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11695 @cindex server buffer format
11697 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11698 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11699 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11700 variable, with some simple extensions:
11705 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11708 The name of this server.
11711 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11714 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11717 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11718 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11719 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11720 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11730 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11733 @node Server Commands
11734 @subsection Server Commands
11735 @cindex server commands
11741 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11742 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11746 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11747 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11750 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11751 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11752 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11756 @findex gnus-server-exit
11757 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11761 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11762 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11766 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11767 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11771 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11772 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11776 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11777 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11781 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11782 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11783 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11788 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11789 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11790 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11791 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11796 @node Example Methods
11797 @subsection Example Methods
11799 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11802 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11805 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11811 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11812 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11815 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11816 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11818 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11819 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11823 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11826 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11827 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11829 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11830 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11831 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11835 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11838 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11841 Here's the method for a public spool:
11845 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11846 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11852 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11853 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11854 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11855 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11856 should probably look something like this:
11860 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11861 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11862 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11863 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11866 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11867 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11868 configuration to the example above:
11871 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11874 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11876 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11877 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11878 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11882 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11883 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11884 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11885 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11888 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11889 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11890 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11891 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11894 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11895 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11897 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11898 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11900 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11901 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11902 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11904 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11906 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11907 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11908 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11909 will contain the following:
11919 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11920 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11921 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11924 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11925 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11926 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11929 @node Server Variables
11930 @subsection Server Variables
11932 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11933 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11934 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11935 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11936 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
11938 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11939 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11940 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11941 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11942 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11943 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11944 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11945 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11946 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11950 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11951 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11952 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11956 @node Servers and Methods
11957 @subsection Servers and Methods
11959 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11960 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11961 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11962 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11966 @node Unavailable Servers
11967 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11969 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11970 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11971 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11972 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11973 actually the case or not.
11975 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11976 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11977 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11978 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11979 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11980 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11981 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11982 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11984 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11985 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11987 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11988 with the following commands:
11994 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11995 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11996 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12000 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12001 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12002 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12006 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12007 Mark the current server as unreachable
12008 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12011 @kindex M-o (Server)
12012 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12013 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12014 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12017 @kindex M-c (Server)
12018 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12019 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12020 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12024 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12025 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12026 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12030 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12031 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12037 @section Getting News
12038 @cindex reading news
12039 @cindex news back ends
12041 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12042 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12043 or it can read from a local spool.
12046 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12047 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12055 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12056 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12057 server as the, uhm, address.
12059 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12060 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12061 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12062 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12064 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12065 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12066 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12068 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12073 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12074 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12075 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12077 @cindex authentification
12078 @cindex nntp authentification
12079 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12080 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12081 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12082 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12083 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12084 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12085 present in this hook.
12087 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12088 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12089 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12090 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12091 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12092 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12093 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12094 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12095 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12096 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12097 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12098 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12102 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12105 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12107 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12108 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12109 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12110 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12111 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12112 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12113 @samp{force} is explained below.
12117 Here's an example file:
12120 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12121 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12124 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12125 have to be first, for instance.
12127 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12128 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12129 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12130 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12131 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12132 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12133 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12135 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12136 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12142 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12143 previously mentioned.
12145 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12147 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12148 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12149 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12150 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12151 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12154 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12155 '(("innd" (ding))))
12158 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12160 The default value is
12163 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12164 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12165 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12168 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12169 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12171 @item nntp-maximum-request
12172 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12173 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12174 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12175 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12176 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12177 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12178 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12180 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12181 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12182 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12183 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12184 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12185 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12186 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12187 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12188 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12189 no timeouts are done.
12191 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12192 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12193 @c @cindex PPP connections
12194 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12195 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12196 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12197 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12198 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12199 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12200 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12201 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12202 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12203 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12205 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12206 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12207 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12208 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12209 @c described above.
12211 @item nntp-server-hook
12212 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12213 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12216 @item nntp-buggy-select
12217 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12218 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12220 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12221 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12222 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12223 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12226 @item nntp-xover-commands
12227 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12230 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12231 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12235 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12236 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12237 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12238 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12239 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12240 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12241 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12242 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12243 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12244 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12245 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12247 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12248 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12249 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12251 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12252 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12253 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12254 server closes connection.
12256 @item nntp-record-commands
12257 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12258 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12259 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12260 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12261 that doesn't seem to work.
12263 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12264 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12265 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12266 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12267 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12268 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12269 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12270 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12272 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12273 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12274 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12275 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12276 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12277 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12278 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12281 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12284 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12285 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12287 @item nntp-read-timeout
12288 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12289 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12290 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12291 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12292 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12295 @item nntp-list-options
12296 @vindex nntp-list-options
12297 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12298 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12299 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12300 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12301 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12305 (setq gnus-select-method
12306 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12307 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12310 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12311 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12312 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12313 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12314 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12315 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12316 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12319 (setq gnus-select-method
12320 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12321 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12324 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12325 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12326 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12327 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12328 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12329 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12330 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12333 (setq gnus-select-method
12334 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12335 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12340 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12341 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12342 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12346 @node Direct Functions
12347 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12348 @cindex direct connection functions
12350 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12351 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12352 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12353 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12356 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12357 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12358 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12361 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12362 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12363 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12364 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12365 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12366 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12367 define a server as follows:
12370 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12372 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12373 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12375 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12376 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12377 (nntp-port-number 563)
12378 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12381 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12382 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12383 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12384 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12385 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12386 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12387 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12388 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12392 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12393 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12394 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12397 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12398 session, which is not a good idea.
12402 @node Indirect Functions
12403 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12404 @cindex indirect connection functions
12406 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12407 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12408 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12409 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12410 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12411 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12414 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12415 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12416 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12417 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12418 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12420 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12423 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12424 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12425 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12426 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12428 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12429 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12430 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12431 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12432 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12433 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12434 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12435 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12438 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12439 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12440 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12441 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12443 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12446 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12447 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12448 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12451 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12452 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12453 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12454 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12456 @item nntp-via-user-password
12457 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12458 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12460 @item nntp-via-envuser
12461 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12462 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12463 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12464 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12466 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12467 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12468 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12469 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12476 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12481 @item nntp-via-user-name
12482 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12483 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12485 @item nntp-via-address
12486 @vindex nntp-via-address
12487 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12492 @node Common Variables
12493 @subsubsection Common Variables
12495 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12496 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12501 @item nntp-pre-command
12502 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12503 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12504 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12505 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12506 wrapper for instance.
12509 @vindex nntp-address
12510 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12512 @item nntp-port-number
12513 @vindex nntp-port-number
12514 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12515 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12516 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12517 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12519 @item nntp-end-of-line
12520 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12521 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12522 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12523 using a non native connection function.
12525 @item nntp-telnet-command
12526 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12527 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12528 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12529 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12531 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12532 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12533 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12540 @subsection News Spool
12544 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12545 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12546 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12549 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12550 anything else) as the address.
12552 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12553 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12554 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12555 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12559 @item nnspool-inews-program
12560 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12561 Program used to post an article.
12563 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12564 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12565 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12567 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12568 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12569 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12570 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12572 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12573 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12574 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12575 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12577 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12578 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12579 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12581 @item nnspool-active-file
12582 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12583 The name of the active file.
12585 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12586 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12587 The name of the group descriptions file.
12589 @item nnspool-history-file
12590 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12591 The name of the news history file.
12593 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12594 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12595 The name of the active date file.
12597 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12598 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12599 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12602 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12603 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12605 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12606 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12607 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12613 @section Getting Mail
12614 @cindex reading mail
12617 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12621 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12622 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12623 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12624 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12625 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12626 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12627 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12628 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12629 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12630 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12631 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12632 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12633 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12637 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12638 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12640 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12641 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12642 of a culture shock.
12644 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12645 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12647 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12648 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12649 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12650 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12652 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12654 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12655 deleted? How awful!
12657 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12658 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12659 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12660 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12663 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12664 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12665 they want to treat a message.
12667 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12668 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12669 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12670 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12671 archived somewhere else.
12673 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12674 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12675 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12676 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12677 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12679 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12680 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12681 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12683 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12684 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12687 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12688 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12689 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12690 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12691 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12693 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12694 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12695 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12696 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12697 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12698 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12702 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12703 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12705 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12706 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12707 and things will happen automatically.
12709 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
12710 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12713 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12716 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12717 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12718 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12719 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12720 like any other group.
12722 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12725 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12726 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12727 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12731 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12732 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12733 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12736 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12737 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12738 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12741 @node Splitting Mail
12742 @subsection Splitting Mail
12743 @cindex splitting mail
12744 @cindex mail splitting
12746 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12747 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12748 to be split into groups.
12751 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12752 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12753 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12754 ("mail.other" "")))
12757 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12758 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12759 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12760 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12761 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12762 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12763 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12766 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12769 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12770 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12771 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12772 mail belongs in that group.
12774 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12775 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
12776 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12777 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12778 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
12779 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
12781 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12782 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12783 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12784 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12785 thinks should carry this mail message.
12787 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12788 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12789 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12790 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12792 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12793 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12794 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12795 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12796 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
12798 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12801 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12802 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12803 links. If that's the case for you, set
12804 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12805 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12807 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12808 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12809 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12810 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12811 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12812 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12815 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12816 Header lines longer than the value of
12817 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12820 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12821 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12822 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12823 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12824 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12825 can be turned off completely by binding
12826 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12827 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12829 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12830 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12831 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12832 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12833 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12834 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12835 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12838 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12839 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12840 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12841 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12842 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12843 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12844 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12845 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12846 month's rent money.
12850 @subsection Mail Sources
12852 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12853 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12857 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12858 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12859 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12863 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12864 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12866 @cindex mail server
12869 @cindex mail source
12871 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12872 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12877 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12880 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12881 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12882 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12885 The following mail source types are available:
12889 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12895 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12896 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12897 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12901 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12904 An example file mail source:
12907 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12910 Or using the default file name:
12916 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12917 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12918 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12921 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12925 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12928 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12932 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12935 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12937 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12940 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12944 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12945 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12946 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12947 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12948 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12949 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12950 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12951 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12952 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12953 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12955 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12956 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12957 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12958 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12964 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12968 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12972 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12973 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12974 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12975 predicate are considered.
12979 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12983 An example directory mail source:
12986 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12991 Get mail from a POP server.
12997 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12998 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13001 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13002 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13003 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13004 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13005 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13008 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13012 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13016 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13017 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13020 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13023 The valid format specifier characters are:
13027 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13028 included in this string.
13031 The name of the server.
13034 The port number of the server.
13037 The user name to use.
13040 The password to use.
13043 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13044 corresponding keywords.
13047 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13048 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13051 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13052 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13055 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13056 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13059 @item :authentication
13060 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13061 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13065 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13066 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13067 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13068 programs and libraries:
13072 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13073 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13074 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13076 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13077 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13082 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13083 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13087 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13088 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13090 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13091 default user name, and default fetcher:
13097 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13100 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13101 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13104 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13107 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13111 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13112 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13113 contains exactly one mail.
13119 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13120 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13123 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13124 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13126 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13127 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13128 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13131 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13132 from locking problems).
13136 Two example maildir mail sources:
13139 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13140 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13144 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13149 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13150 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13151 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13152 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13155 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
13156 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13162 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13163 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13166 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13167 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
13170 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13174 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13178 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13179 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13180 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13181 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13183 @item :authentication
13184 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13185 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13186 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13187 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13190 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13191 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13192 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13198 The valid format specifier characters are:
13202 The name of the server.
13205 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13208 The port number of the server.
13211 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13212 corresponding keywords.
13215 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13216 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13219 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13220 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13221 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13222 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13223 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13224 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13227 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13228 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13229 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13230 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13233 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13234 after finishing the fetch.
13238 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13241 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13243 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13247 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13248 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13249 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13251 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13252 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13254 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13260 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13261 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13264 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13268 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13272 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13273 folder after finishing the fetch.
13277 An example webmail source:
13280 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13282 :password "secret")
13287 @item Common Keywords
13288 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13294 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13295 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13299 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13304 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13305 useful when you use local mail and news.
13310 @subsubsection Function Interface
13312 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13313 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13314 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13315 consider the following mail-source setting:
13318 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13319 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13322 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13323 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13324 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13325 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13326 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13328 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13331 @node Mail Source Customization
13332 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13334 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13335 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13339 @item mail-source-crash-box
13340 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13341 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13342 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13344 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13345 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13346 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13348 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13349 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13350 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13352 @item mail-source-directory
13353 @vindex mail-source-directory
13354 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13355 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13356 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13359 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13360 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13361 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13362 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13363 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13364 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13366 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13367 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13368 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13370 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13371 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13372 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13373 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13378 @node Fetching Mail
13379 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13381 @vindex mail-sources
13382 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13383 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13384 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13385 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13387 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13388 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13391 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13392 mail server, you'd say something like:
13397 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13398 :password "secret")))
13401 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13405 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13406 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13409 :password "secret")))
13413 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13414 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13415 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13416 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13417 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13418 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13422 @node Mail Back End Variables
13423 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13425 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13429 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13430 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13431 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13432 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13434 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13435 @item nnmail-split-hook
13436 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13437 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13438 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13439 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13440 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13441 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13442 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13443 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13444 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13447 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13448 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13449 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13450 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13451 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13452 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13453 starting to handle the new mail) and
13454 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13455 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13456 default file modes the new mail files get:
13459 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13460 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13462 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13463 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13466 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13467 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13468 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13469 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13470 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13471 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13472 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13474 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13475 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13476 @findex delete-file
13477 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13479 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13480 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13481 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13482 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13483 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13485 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13486 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13487 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13488 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13489 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13491 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13492 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13493 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13498 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13499 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13500 @cindex mail splitting
13501 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13503 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13504 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13505 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13506 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13507 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13508 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13510 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13513 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13514 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13515 ;; from real errors.
13516 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13518 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13519 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13520 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13521 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13522 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13523 ;; Other mailing lists...
13524 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13525 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13526 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13527 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13528 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13529 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13530 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13531 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13533 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13534 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13538 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13539 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13540 the five possible split syntaxes:
13545 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13546 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13550 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13551 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13552 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13553 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13554 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13555 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13556 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13557 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13560 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13561 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13562 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13563 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13566 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13567 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13570 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13571 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13574 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13575 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13576 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13577 function should return a @var{split}.
13580 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13581 body of the messages:
13584 (defun split-on-body ()
13586 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13587 (goto-char (point-min))
13588 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13592 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13593 when the @code{:} function is run.
13596 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13597 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13598 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13602 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13606 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13607 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13608 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13609 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13610 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13612 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13613 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13614 are expanded as specified by the variable
13615 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13616 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13619 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13620 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13621 when all this splitting is performed.
13623 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13624 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13625 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13628 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13631 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13632 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13634 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13635 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13636 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13637 groupings 1 through 9.
13639 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13640 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13641 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13642 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13643 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13644 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13645 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13646 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13647 it once per thread.
13649 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13650 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13651 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13654 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13655 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13657 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13658 ;; other splits go here
13662 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13663 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13664 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13665 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13666 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13667 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13668 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13669 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13670 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13671 unless the group name matches the regexp
13672 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13673 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13674 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13675 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13676 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13677 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13678 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13679 messages goes into the new group.
13681 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13682 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13683 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13684 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13685 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13689 @node Group Mail Splitting
13690 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13691 @cindex mail splitting
13692 @cindex group mail splitting
13694 @findex gnus-group-split
13695 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13696 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13697 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13698 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13699 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13700 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13701 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13702 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13704 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13705 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13706 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13707 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13709 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13710 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13711 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13712 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13713 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13714 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13715 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13717 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13718 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13719 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13720 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13721 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13722 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13723 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13725 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13726 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13727 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13728 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13729 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13730 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13731 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13732 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13733 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13734 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13735 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13736 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13737 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13739 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13744 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13745 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13747 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13748 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13749 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13750 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13752 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13755 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13756 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13757 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13760 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13761 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13762 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13766 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13767 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13768 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13772 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13775 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13776 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13777 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13778 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13779 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13780 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13781 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13782 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13783 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13785 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13786 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13787 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13788 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13789 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13790 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13791 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13792 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13793 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13795 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13796 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13797 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13798 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13799 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13800 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13803 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13806 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13807 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13808 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13809 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13810 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13813 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13814 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13815 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13816 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13818 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13819 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13820 @cindex incorporating old mail
13821 @cindex import old mail
13823 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13824 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13825 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13828 Doing so can be quite easy.
13830 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13831 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13832 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13833 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13834 your @code{nnml} groups.
13840 Go to the group buffer.
13843 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13844 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13847 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
13850 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13851 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13854 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13855 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13858 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13859 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13860 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13861 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13862 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13864 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13865 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13866 using the new mail back end.
13869 @node Expiring Mail
13870 @subsection Expiring Mail
13871 @cindex article expiry
13873 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13874 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13875 different approach to mail reading.
13877 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13878 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13879 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13880 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13881 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13882 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13885 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13886 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13887 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13888 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13889 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13890 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13891 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13892 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13893 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13895 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13896 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13897 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13898 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13899 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13900 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13901 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13904 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13905 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13906 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13907 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13908 into its own group.)
13910 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13911 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13912 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13913 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13914 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13915 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13916 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13917 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13920 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13921 Groups that match the regular expression
13922 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13923 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13924 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13926 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13927 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13928 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13929 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13930 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13932 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13934 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13935 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13936 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13939 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13940 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13941 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13942 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13943 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13945 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13946 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13949 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13950 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13953 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13954 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13956 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13957 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13958 don't really mix very well.
13960 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13961 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13962 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13963 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13966 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13967 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13968 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13969 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13972 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13974 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13976 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13978 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13980 ((string= group "important")
13986 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13987 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13989 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13990 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13991 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13994 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13995 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13997 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13998 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13999 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14000 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14001 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14002 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14003 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14004 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14005 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14006 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14007 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14008 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
14009 name or @code{delete}.
14011 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14013 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14016 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14017 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14018 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14019 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14020 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14023 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14024 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14025 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14026 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14027 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14030 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14031 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14032 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14033 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14034 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14035 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14037 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14038 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14039 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14040 easier for procmail users.
14042 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14043 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14044 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14045 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14046 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14047 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14048 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14049 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14050 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14051 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14052 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14053 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14054 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14057 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14059 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14060 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14061 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14062 auto-expire turned on.
14066 @subsection Washing Mail
14067 @cindex mail washing
14068 @cindex list server brain damage
14069 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14071 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14072 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14073 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14074 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14075 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14076 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14078 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14079 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14080 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14083 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14084 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14085 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14086 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14089 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14090 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14091 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14092 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14093 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14096 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14097 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14098 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14099 Emacs running on MS machines.
14103 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14104 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14105 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14106 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14109 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14110 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14111 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14112 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14114 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14115 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14116 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14117 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14118 into a feature by documenting it.)
14120 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14121 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14122 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14123 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14124 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14125 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14126 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14129 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14130 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14133 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14134 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14137 This can also be done non-destructively with
14138 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14140 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14141 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14142 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14144 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14145 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14147 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14148 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14149 @code{References} headers.
14153 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14154 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14155 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14159 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14160 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14161 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14168 @subsection Duplicates
14170 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14171 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14172 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14173 @cindex duplicate mails
14174 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14175 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14176 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14177 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14178 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14179 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14180 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14181 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14182 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14183 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14184 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14185 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14186 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14188 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14189 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14190 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14191 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14193 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14196 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14197 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14201 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14202 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14203 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14204 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14205 (any mail "mail.misc")
14212 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14213 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14218 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14219 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14220 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14221 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14222 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14225 @node Not Reading Mail
14226 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14228 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14229 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14230 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14232 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14233 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14234 mail, which should help.
14236 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14237 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14238 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14239 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14240 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14241 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14242 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14243 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14244 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14245 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14246 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14248 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14249 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14253 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14254 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14256 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14257 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14258 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14260 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14261 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14262 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14263 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14264 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14265 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14266 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14269 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14270 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14271 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14272 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14273 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14274 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14278 @node Unix Mail Box
14279 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14281 @cindex unix mail box
14283 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14284 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14285 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14286 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14287 which group it belongs in.
14289 Virtual server settings:
14292 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14293 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14294 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14297 @item nnmbox-active-file
14298 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14299 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14300 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14302 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14303 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14304 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14305 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14310 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14314 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14315 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14316 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14317 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14318 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14320 Virtual server settings:
14323 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14324 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14325 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14327 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14328 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14329 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14330 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14332 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14333 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14334 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14340 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14342 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14344 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14345 format. It should be used with some caution.
14347 @vindex nnml-directory
14348 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14349 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14350 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14351 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14353 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14356 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14357 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14358 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14359 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14360 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14361 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14362 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14363 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14365 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14366 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14367 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14368 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14370 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14372 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14373 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14374 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14375 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14376 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14377 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14378 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14379 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14382 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14383 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14384 them next time it starts.
14386 Virtual server settings:
14389 @item nnml-directory
14390 @vindex nnml-directory
14391 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14392 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14395 @item nnml-active-file
14396 @vindex nnml-active-file
14397 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14398 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14400 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14401 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14402 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14403 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14405 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14406 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14407 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14410 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14411 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14412 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14413 default is @code{nil}.
14415 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14416 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14417 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14419 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14420 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14421 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14423 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14424 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14425 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14426 default is @code{nil}.
14428 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14429 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14430 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14432 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14433 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14434 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14439 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14440 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14441 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14442 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14443 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14444 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14445 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14450 @subsubsection MH Spool
14452 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14454 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14455 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14456 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14457 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14459 Virtual server settings:
14462 @item nnmh-directory
14463 @vindex nnmh-directory
14464 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14465 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14468 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14469 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14470 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14474 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14475 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14476 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14477 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14478 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14479 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14480 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14485 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14487 @cindex mbox folders
14488 @cindex mail folders
14490 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14491 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14492 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14495 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14497 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14498 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14499 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14500 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14501 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14502 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14503 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14504 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14505 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14506 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14508 Virtual server settings:
14511 @item nnfolder-directory
14512 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14513 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14514 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14517 @item nnfolder-active-file
14518 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14519 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14521 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14522 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14523 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14524 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
14526 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14527 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14528 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14531 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14532 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14533 @cindex backup files
14534 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14535 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14536 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14537 your @file{.emacs} file:
14540 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14541 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14543 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14546 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14547 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14548 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14549 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14550 extract some information from it before removing it.
14552 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14553 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14554 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14555 default is @code{nil}.
14557 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14558 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14559 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14561 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14562 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14563 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14564 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14566 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14567 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14568 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14569 default is @code{nil}.
14571 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14572 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14573 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14575 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14576 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14577 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14578 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14583 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14584 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14585 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14586 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14587 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14588 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14591 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14592 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14594 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14595 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14596 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14597 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14598 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14600 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14601 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14602 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14603 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14604 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14605 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14606 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14607 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14610 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14611 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14612 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14613 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14618 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14619 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14620 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14621 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14622 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14623 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14624 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14625 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14626 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14627 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14628 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14629 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14630 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14635 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14636 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14637 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14638 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14639 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14640 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14641 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14642 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14643 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14644 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14645 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14646 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14647 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14648 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14650 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14651 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14656 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14657 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14658 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14659 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14660 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14661 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14662 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14663 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14664 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14665 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14666 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14667 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14668 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14669 provided by the active file and overviews.
14671 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14672 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14673 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14674 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14675 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14678 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14679 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14684 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14685 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14686 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14687 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14688 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14689 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14690 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14694 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14695 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14696 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14697 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14698 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14699 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14700 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14701 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14702 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14704 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14705 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14706 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14707 friendly mail back end all over.
14711 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14712 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14713 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14714 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14715 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14716 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14717 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14718 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14721 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14722 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14723 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14724 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14725 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14726 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14727 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14728 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14729 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14730 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14731 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14733 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14734 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14735 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14736 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14737 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14738 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14739 This will probably be changed in the future.
14741 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14742 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14743 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14744 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14745 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14748 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14749 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14751 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14752 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14753 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14754 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14755 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14756 would) to make it use less memory.
14758 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14759 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14760 depending in part on your file system.
14762 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14763 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14768 @node Browsing the Web
14769 @section Browsing the Web
14771 @cindex browsing the web
14775 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14776 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14777 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14778 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14779 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14780 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14781 even know what a news group is.
14783 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14784 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14785 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14786 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14787 you mad in the end.
14789 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14792 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14793 interfaces to these sources.
14797 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14798 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14799 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14800 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14801 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14802 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14805 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14807 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14808 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14809 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14810 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14811 though, you should be ok.
14813 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14814 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14815 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14816 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14817 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14819 @node Archiving Mail
14820 @subsection Archiving Mail
14821 @cindex archiving mail
14822 @cindex backup of mail
14824 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14825 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14826 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14827 marks is fairly simple.
14829 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14830 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14833 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14834 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14835 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14836 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14837 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14838 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14839 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14840 before you restore the data.
14842 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14843 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14844 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14845 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14846 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14847 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14848 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14849 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14850 is unnecessary in that case.
14853 @subsection Web Searches
14858 @cindex Usenet searches
14859 @cindex searching the Usenet
14861 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14862 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14863 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14864 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14865 searches without having to use a browser.
14867 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14868 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14869 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14870 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14871 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14873 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14874 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14875 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14876 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14877 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14878 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14879 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14880 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14881 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14882 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14885 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14886 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14887 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14888 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14889 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14890 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14892 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14893 to use @code{nnweb}.
14895 Virtual server variables:
14900 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14901 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14902 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14905 @vindex nnweb-search
14906 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14908 @item nnweb-max-hits
14909 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14910 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14913 @item nnweb-type-definition
14914 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14915 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14916 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14921 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14925 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14928 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14931 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14935 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14942 @subsection Slashdot
14946 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14947 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14948 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14950 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14951 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14954 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14955 '((nnslashdot "")))
14958 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14959 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14960 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14961 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14962 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14965 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14966 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14968 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14969 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14970 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14971 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14972 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14973 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14976 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14979 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14980 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14981 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14982 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14983 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14984 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14985 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
14987 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14988 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14989 The login name to use when posting.
14991 @item nnslashdot-password
14992 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14993 The password to use when posting.
14995 @item nnslashdot-directory
14996 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14997 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14998 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15000 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15001 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15002 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15003 news articles and comments. The default is
15004 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15006 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15007 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15008 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15010 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15012 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15013 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15014 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15016 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15018 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15019 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15020 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15022 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15023 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15024 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15025 updated. The default is 0.
15032 @subsection Ultimate
15034 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15036 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15037 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15038 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15039 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15041 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15042 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15043 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15044 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15045 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15046 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15047 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15049 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15052 @item nnultimate-directory
15053 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15054 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15055 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15060 @subsection Web Archive
15062 @cindex Web Archive
15064 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15065 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15066 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15067 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15070 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15071 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15072 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15073 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15074 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15075 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15076 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15077 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15079 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15082 @item nnwarchive-directory
15083 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15084 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15085 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15087 @item nnwarchive-login
15088 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15089 The account name on the web server.
15091 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15092 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15093 The password for your account on the web server.
15101 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15102 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15103 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15106 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15107 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15110 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15113 @item nnrss-directory
15114 @vindex nnrss-directory
15115 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15116 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15120 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15121 the summary buffer.
15124 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15125 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15127 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15129 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15130 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15133 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15136 (require 'browse-url)
15138 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15140 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15143 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15144 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15147 (browse-url (cdr url))
15148 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15149 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15151 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15152 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15153 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15154 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15157 @node Customizing w3
15158 @subsection Customizing w3
15164 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15165 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15166 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15168 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15169 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15170 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15173 (eval-after-load "w3"
15175 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15176 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15177 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15178 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15180 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15183 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15184 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15193 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15194 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15195 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15196 specify the network address of the server.
15198 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15199 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15200 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15201 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15202 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15204 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15205 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15206 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15207 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15209 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15210 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15211 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15212 usage explained in this section.
15214 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15215 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15216 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15219 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15220 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15221 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15223 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15224 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15225 ; a UW server running on localhost
15227 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15228 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15229 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15230 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15231 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15232 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15233 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15234 (nnimap-stream network))
15235 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15237 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15238 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15239 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15242 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15243 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15244 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15245 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15247 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15252 @item nnimap-address
15253 @vindex nnimap-address
15255 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15256 server name if not specified.
15258 @item nnimap-server-port
15259 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15260 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15262 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15265 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15266 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15269 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15270 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15271 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15272 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15273 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15274 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15275 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15277 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15278 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15279 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15282 Example server specification:
15285 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15286 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15287 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15290 @item nnimap-stream
15291 @vindex nnimap-stream
15292 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15293 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15294 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15295 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15297 Example server specification:
15300 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15301 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15304 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15308 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15309 @samp{imtest} program.
15311 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15313 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15314 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15317 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15318 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15319 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15321 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15323 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15326 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15327 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15328 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15329 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15330 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15331 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15332 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15333 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15334 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15337 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15338 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15339 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15340 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15341 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15342 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15343 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15344 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15345 distribution, for instance).
15347 @vindex imap-shell-program
15348 @vindex imap-shell-host
15349 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15350 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15352 @item nnimap-authenticator
15353 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15355 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15356 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15358 Example server specification:
15361 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15362 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15365 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15369 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15370 external program @code{imtest}.
15372 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15375 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15376 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15378 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15380 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15382 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15385 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15387 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15388 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15389 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15390 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15391 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15392 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15395 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15396 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15397 running in circles yet?
15399 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15400 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15403 The possible options are:
15408 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15411 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15412 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15413 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15414 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15416 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15421 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15422 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15424 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15425 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15426 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15427 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15428 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15431 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15432 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15435 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15436 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15437 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15438 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15441 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15442 as ticked for other users.
15444 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15446 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15448 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15449 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15450 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15451 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15453 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15454 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15455 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15456 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15458 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15459 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15461 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15462 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15463 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15469 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15470 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15471 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15472 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
15473 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15478 @node Splitting in IMAP
15479 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15480 @cindex splitting imap mail
15482 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15483 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15484 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15485 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15486 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15490 Here are the variables of interest:
15494 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15495 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15497 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15499 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15500 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15502 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15504 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15505 @cindex splitting, inbox
15507 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15509 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15510 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15514 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15515 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15518 No nnmail equivalent.
15520 @item nnimap-split-rule
15521 @cindex Splitting, rules
15522 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15524 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15527 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15528 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15529 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15530 Neither did I, we need examples.
15533 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15535 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15536 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15537 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15540 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15541 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15542 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15544 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15545 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15549 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15552 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15553 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15555 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15556 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15557 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15558 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15560 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15561 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15562 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15563 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15564 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15565 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15567 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15568 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
15569 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
15571 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15572 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15573 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15575 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15577 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15578 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15579 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15582 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15583 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15584 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15585 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15586 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15587 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15590 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15591 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15592 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15593 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15594 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15595 group/function elements.
15597 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15599 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15601 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15603 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15604 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15606 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15607 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15608 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15611 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15612 @cindex splitting, fancy
15613 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15614 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15616 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15617 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15618 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15620 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15621 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15622 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15623 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15628 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15629 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15632 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15634 @item nnimap-split-download-body
15635 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
15636 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
15638 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
15639 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
15640 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
15641 analyses the body to split the article.
15645 @node Expiring in IMAP
15646 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15647 @cindex expiring imap mail
15649 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
15650 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
15651 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
15652 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
15653 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
15654 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
15657 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15658 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15659 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15660 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15661 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15662 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15663 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15664 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15668 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15669 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15671 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15672 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
15674 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15676 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15677 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15678 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15679 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15683 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15684 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15685 @cindex editing imap acls
15686 @cindex Access Control Lists
15687 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15689 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15691 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15692 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15693 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15696 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15697 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15698 editing window with detailed instructions.
15700 Some possible uses:
15704 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15705 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15706 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15708 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15709 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
15710 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15714 @node Expunging mailboxes
15715 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15719 @cindex Manual expunging
15721 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15723 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15724 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15725 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15727 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15730 @node A note on namespaces
15731 @subsection A note on namespaces
15732 @cindex IMAP namespace
15735 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15736 following text in the RFC:
15739 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15741 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15742 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15743 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15744 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15746 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15747 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15748 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15749 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15750 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15751 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15754 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15755 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15756 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15758 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15759 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15760 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15761 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15762 the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15763 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15764 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15765 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15767 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15768 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15769 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15771 @node Other Sources
15772 @section Other Sources
15774 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15775 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15779 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15780 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15781 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15782 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15783 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15787 @node Directory Groups
15788 @subsection Directory Groups
15790 @cindex directory groups
15792 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15793 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15796 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15797 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15798 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15799 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15801 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15802 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15803 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15804 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15805 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15807 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15809 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15810 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15811 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15812 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15815 @node Anything Groups
15816 @subsection Anything Groups
15819 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15820 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15821 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15824 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15825 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15826 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15827 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15828 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15829 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15830 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15831 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15832 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15833 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15836 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15837 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15838 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15839 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15841 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15842 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15843 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15844 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15846 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15847 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15848 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15849 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15850 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15851 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15852 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15853 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15858 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15859 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15860 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15861 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15863 @item nneething-exclude-files
15864 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15865 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15866 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15868 @item nneething-include-files
15869 @vindex nneething-include-files
15870 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15871 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15873 @item nneething-map-file
15874 @vindex nneething-map-file
15875 Name of the map files.
15879 @node Document Groups
15880 @subsection Document Groups
15882 @cindex documentation group
15885 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15886 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15893 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15898 The standard Unix mbox file.
15900 @cindex MMDF mail box
15902 The MMDF mail box format.
15905 Several news articles appended into a file.
15908 @cindex rnews batch files
15909 The rnews batch transport format.
15910 @cindex forwarded messages
15913 Forwarded articles.
15916 Netscape mail boxes.
15919 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15921 @item standard-digest
15922 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15925 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15927 @item lanl-gov-announce
15928 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15930 @item rfc822-forward
15931 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15934 The Outlook mail box.
15937 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15940 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15943 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15946 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15952 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15955 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15961 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15962 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15963 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15966 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15967 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15968 group. And that's it.
15970 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15971 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15972 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15973 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15974 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15975 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15976 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15977 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15978 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15979 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15981 Virtual server variables:
15984 @item nndoc-article-type
15985 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15986 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15987 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15988 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15989 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15990 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15992 @item nndoc-post-type
15993 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15994 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15995 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16000 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16004 @node Document Server Internals
16005 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16007 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16008 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16009 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16010 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16012 First, here's an example document type definition:
16016 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16017 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16020 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16021 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16022 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16023 types can be defined with very few settings:
16026 @item first-article
16027 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16028 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16031 @item article-begin
16032 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16033 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16035 @item head-begin-function
16036 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16039 @item nndoc-head-begin
16040 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16043 @item nndoc-head-end
16044 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16045 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16047 @item body-begin-function
16048 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16052 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16055 @item body-end-function
16056 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16060 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16063 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16064 regexp will be totally ignored.
16068 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16069 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16070 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16071 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16072 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16075 @item prepare-body-function
16076 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16077 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16078 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16080 @item article-transform-function
16081 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16082 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16083 body of the article.
16085 @item generate-head-function
16086 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16087 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16088 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16089 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16093 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16098 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16099 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16100 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16101 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16102 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16103 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16104 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16105 (subtype digest guess))
16108 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16109 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16110 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16111 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16112 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16114 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16115 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
16116 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
16117 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
16118 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
16119 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16120 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
16121 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16122 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
16123 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16131 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16132 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16133 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16135 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16136 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16137 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16140 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16141 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16142 that interested in doing things properly.
16144 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16145 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16148 First some terminology:
16153 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16154 get news and/or mail from.
16157 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16158 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16161 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16165 @item message packets
16166 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16167 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16168 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16170 @item response packets
16171 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16172 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16173 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16183 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16184 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16185 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16186 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16189 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16192 You put the packet in your home directory.
16195 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16196 the native or secondary server.
16199 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16200 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16203 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16207 You transfer this packet to the server.
16210 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16213 You then repeat until you die.
16217 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16218 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16221 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16222 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16223 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16227 @node SOUP Commands
16228 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16230 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16234 @kindex G s b (Group)
16235 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16236 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16237 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16238 process/prefix convention.
16241 @kindex G s w (Group)
16242 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16243 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16246 @kindex G s s (Group)
16247 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16248 Send all replies from the replies packet
16249 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16252 @kindex G s p (Group)
16253 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16254 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16257 @kindex G s r (Group)
16258 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16259 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16262 @kindex O s (Summary)
16263 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16264 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16265 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16266 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16271 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16276 @item gnus-soup-directory
16277 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16278 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16279 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16281 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16282 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16283 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16284 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16286 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16287 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16288 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16289 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16291 @item gnus-soup-packer
16292 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16293 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16294 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16296 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16297 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16298 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16299 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16301 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16302 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16303 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16305 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16306 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16307 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16308 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16314 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16317 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16318 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16319 you can read them at leisure.
16321 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16325 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16326 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16327 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16328 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16330 @item nnsoup-directory
16331 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16332 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16333 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16335 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16336 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16337 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16338 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16340 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16341 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16342 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16343 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16344 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16346 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16347 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16348 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16349 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16351 @item nnsoup-active-file
16352 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16353 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16354 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16355 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16356 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16358 @item nnsoup-packer
16359 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16360 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16361 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16363 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16364 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16365 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16366 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16368 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16369 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16370 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16373 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16374 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16375 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16378 @item nnsoup-always-save
16379 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16380 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16386 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16388 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16389 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16390 more for that to happen.
16392 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16393 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16394 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16397 In specific, this is what it does:
16400 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16401 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16404 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16405 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16406 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16409 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16410 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16411 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16414 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16415 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16416 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16418 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16424 @item nngateway-address
16425 @vindex nngateway-address
16426 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16428 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16429 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16430 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16431 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16432 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16433 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16434 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16437 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16438 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16439 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16442 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16445 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16448 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16451 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16453 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16456 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16457 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16458 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16460 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16462 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16463 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16464 @code{nngateway-address}.
16469 (setq gnus-post-method
16471 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16472 (nngateway-header-transformation
16473 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16481 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16484 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16489 @node Combined Groups
16490 @section Combined Groups
16492 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16496 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16497 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16501 @node Virtual Groups
16502 @subsection Virtual Groups
16504 @cindex virtual groups
16505 @cindex merging groups
16507 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16510 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16511 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16512 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16514 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16515 regexp to match component groups.
16517 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16518 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16519 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16520 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16521 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16522 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16523 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16524 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16526 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16527 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16530 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16533 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16534 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16536 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16537 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16538 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16539 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16542 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16545 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16546 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16547 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16549 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16550 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16551 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16552 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16553 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16555 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16556 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16557 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16559 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16560 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16561 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16562 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16563 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16564 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16565 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16566 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16567 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16568 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16569 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16571 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16572 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16573 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16574 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16575 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16576 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16577 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16579 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16580 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16582 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16583 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16587 @node Kibozed Groups
16588 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16592 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16593 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16594 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16595 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16597 @kindex G k (Group)
16598 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16601 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16602 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16603 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16604 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16606 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16607 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16608 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16610 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16611 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16612 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16613 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16614 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16615 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16616 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16617 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16619 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16620 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16621 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16622 Stranger things have happened.
16624 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16625 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16627 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16628 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16629 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16630 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16631 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16632 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16634 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16635 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16638 @node Gnus Unplugged
16639 @section Gnus Unplugged
16644 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16646 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16647 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16648 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16649 read news. Believe it or not.
16651 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16652 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16653 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16654 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16655 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16657 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16658 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16659 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16660 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16661 reading news on a machine.
16663 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16664 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16666 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16669 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16670 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16671 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16672 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16673 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16674 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
16675 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16676 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16677 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16678 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16679 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16680 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16685 @subsection Agent Basics
16687 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16689 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16690 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16691 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16692 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16694 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16695 connected to the net continuously.
16697 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16698 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16700 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16705 @findex gnus-unplugged
16706 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16707 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16708 already fetched while in this mode.
16711 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16712 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16713 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16714 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16715 Source Specifiers}).
16718 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16719 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16720 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16721 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16722 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16725 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16726 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16727 then you read the news offline.
16730 And then you go to step 2.
16733 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16739 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16740 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16741 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16742 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16743 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16744 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16745 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16746 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16749 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16752 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
16756 @node Agent Categories
16757 @subsection Agent Categories
16759 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16760 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16761 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16762 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16763 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16764 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16765 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16767 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16768 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16769 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16770 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16771 managing categories.
16774 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16775 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16776 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16780 @node Category Syntax
16781 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16783 A category consists of two things.
16787 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16788 are eligible for downloading; and
16791 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16792 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16793 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16796 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16797 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16798 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16799 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16801 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16802 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16803 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16805 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16806 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16807 operators sprinkled in between.
16809 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16811 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16812 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16818 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16819 short (for some value of ``short'').
16821 Here's a more complex predicate:
16830 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16831 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16834 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16835 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16836 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16838 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16839 you want to do, you can write your own.
16843 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16844 lines; default 100.
16847 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16848 lines; default 200.
16851 True iff the article has a download score less than
16852 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16855 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16856 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16859 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16860 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16861 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16870 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16871 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16872 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16875 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16876 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16877 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16878 something along the lines of the following:
16881 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16882 "Say whether an article is old."
16883 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16884 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16887 with the predicate then defined as:
16890 (not my-article-old-p)
16893 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16894 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16898 (require 'gnus-agent)
16899 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16900 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16901 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16904 and simply specify your predicate as:
16910 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16911 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16912 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16913 just don't give a damn.
16915 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
16916 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16917 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16918 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16919 parameters like so:
16922 (agent-predicate . short)
16925 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16926 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16927 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16929 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16932 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16935 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16936 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16937 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16940 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16941 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16942 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16943 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16944 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16945 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16947 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16948 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16949 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16950 if it's to be specific to that group.
16952 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16959 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16960 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16966 Category specification
16970 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16976 Group Parameter specification
16979 (agent-score ("from"
16980 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16985 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16991 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
16992 keywords stated above.
16998 Category specification
17001 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17007 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17011 Group Parameter specification
17014 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17017 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17022 Use @code{normal} score files
17024 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17025 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17026 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17027 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17029 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17030 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17031 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17032 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17036 Category Specification
17043 Group Parameter specification
17046 (agent-score . file)
17051 @node Category Buffer
17052 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17054 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17055 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17056 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17058 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17062 @kindex q (Category)
17063 @findex gnus-category-exit
17064 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17067 @kindex k (Category)
17068 @findex gnus-category-kill
17069 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17072 @kindex c (Category)
17073 @findex gnus-category-copy
17074 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17077 @kindex a (Category)
17078 @findex gnus-category-add
17079 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17082 @kindex p (Category)
17083 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17084 Edit the predicate of the current category
17085 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17088 @kindex g (Category)
17089 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17090 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17091 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17094 @kindex s (Category)
17095 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17096 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17097 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17100 @kindex l (Category)
17101 @findex gnus-category-list
17102 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17106 @node Category Variables
17107 @subsubsection Category Variables
17110 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17111 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17112 Hook run in category buffers.
17114 @item gnus-category-line-format
17115 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17116 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17117 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17121 The name of the category.
17124 The number of groups in the category.
17127 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17128 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17129 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17131 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17132 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17133 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17135 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17136 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17137 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17139 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17140 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17141 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17144 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17145 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17146 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17152 @node Agent Commands
17153 @subsection Agent Commands
17154 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17155 @kindex J j (Agent)
17157 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17158 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17159 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17163 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17164 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17165 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17171 @node Group Agent Commands
17172 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17176 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17177 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17178 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17179 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17182 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17183 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17184 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17187 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17188 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17189 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17190 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17193 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17194 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17195 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17196 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17199 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17200 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17201 Add the current group to an Agent category
17202 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17203 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17206 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17207 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17208 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17209 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17210 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17213 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17214 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17215 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17221 @node Summary Agent Commands
17222 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17226 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17227 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17228 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17231 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17232 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17233 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17234 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17238 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17239 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17240 Toggle whether to download the article
17241 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17245 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17246 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17247 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17250 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17251 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17252 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17253 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17256 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17257 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17258 Download all processable articles in this group.
17259 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17262 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17263 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17264 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17265 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17270 @node Server Agent Commands
17271 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17275 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17276 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17277 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17278 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17281 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17282 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17283 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17284 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17289 @node Agent as Cache
17290 @subsection Agent as Cache
17292 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17293 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17294 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17295 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17296 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17297 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17298 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17299 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17300 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17302 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17303 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17306 @subsection Agent Expiry
17308 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17309 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17310 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17311 @cindex Agent expiry
17312 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17315 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17316 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17317 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17318 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17319 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17320 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17322 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17323 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17324 synchronized with the group.
17326 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17327 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17328 expiry in different groups.
17331 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17337 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17338 method---it must always match all groups. Also, for a regexp to match,
17339 it must match from the beginning of the group's name.
17341 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17342 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17343 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17344 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17345 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17347 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17348 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17349 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17351 @node Agent Regeneration
17352 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17354 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17355 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17356 @cindex regeneration
17358 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17359 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17360 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17361 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17362 internal inconsistencies.
17364 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17365 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17366 know about articles downloaded prior to the connection failure.
17367 Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17368 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17369 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17371 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17372 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17373 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17374 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17375 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17376 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17378 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17379 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17380 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17381 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17382 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17383 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17386 @node Agent and IMAP
17387 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17389 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17390 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17391 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17392 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17394 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17395 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
17396 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17397 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17399 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17400 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17401 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17402 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17404 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17405 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17406 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17407 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17408 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17409 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17411 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17412 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17413 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17414 in the group buffer.
17416 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17417 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17422 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17425 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17429 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
17430 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17431 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17432 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17433 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17434 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
17435 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17436 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17439 @node Outgoing Messages
17440 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17442 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17443 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17444 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17446 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17447 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17448 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17449 messages in the draft group.
17453 @node Agent Variables
17454 @subsection Agent Variables
17457 @item gnus-agent-directory
17458 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17459 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17460 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17462 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17463 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17464 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17465 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17466 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17469 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17470 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17471 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17473 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17474 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17475 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17477 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17478 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17479 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17481 @item gnus-agent-cache
17482 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17483 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17484 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17485 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17487 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17488 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17489 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17490 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17491 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17492 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17493 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17496 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17497 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17498 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
17499 mark articles as unread after downloading. The default is t.
17501 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17502 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17503 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
17504 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
17505 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
17507 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17508 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17509 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
17510 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
17511 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
17512 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
17513 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
17514 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
17515 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
17516 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
17517 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
17518 available while unplugged).
17520 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17521 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17522 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17523 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17524 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17525 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17526 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17527 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17528 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17533 @node Example Setup
17534 @subsection Example Setup
17536 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17537 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17538 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17541 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17542 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17543 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17545 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17546 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17547 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17549 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17550 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17552 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17553 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17554 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17557 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17558 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17561 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17562 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17563 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17564 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17565 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17568 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17569 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17570 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17571 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17572 back all the killed groups.)
17574 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17575 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17576 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17579 @node Batching Agents
17580 @subsection Batching Agents
17581 @findex gnus-agent-batch
17583 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17584 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17585 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17587 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
17588 following incantation:
17592 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
17596 @node Agent Caveats
17597 @subsection Agent Caveats
17599 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17600 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17604 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17606 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
17607 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
17608 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
17610 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17612 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
17616 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17617 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
17618 locally stored articles.
17625 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17626 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17627 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17630 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17631 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17632 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17633 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17634 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17636 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17637 before generating the summary buffer.
17639 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17640 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17641 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17643 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17644 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17645 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17646 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17649 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17650 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17651 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17652 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17653 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17654 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17655 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17656 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17657 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17658 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17659 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17660 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17661 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17662 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17663 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17664 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17665 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17669 @node Summary Score Commands
17670 @section Summary Score Commands
17671 @cindex score commands
17673 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17674 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17675 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17676 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17677 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17679 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17680 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17681 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17682 score file the current one.
17684 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17689 @kindex V s (Summary)
17690 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17691 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17694 @kindex V S (Summary)
17695 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17696 Display the score of the current article
17697 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17700 @kindex V t (Summary)
17701 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17702 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17703 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17706 @kindex V w (Summary)
17707 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17708 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17711 @kindex V R (Summary)
17712 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17713 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17714 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17715 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17716 effect you're having.
17719 @kindex V c (Summary)
17720 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17721 Make a different score file the current
17722 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17725 @kindex V e (Summary)
17726 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17727 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17728 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17732 @kindex V f (Summary)
17733 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17734 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17735 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17738 @kindex V F (Summary)
17739 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17740 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17741 after editing score files.
17744 @kindex V C (Summary)
17745 @findex gnus-score-customize
17746 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17747 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17751 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17756 @kindex V m (Summary)
17757 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17758 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17759 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17762 @kindex V x (Summary)
17763 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17764 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17765 expunge all articles below this score
17766 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17769 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17770 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17773 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17774 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17778 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17779 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17781 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17782 keys are available:
17786 Score on the author name.
17789 Score on the subject line.
17792 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17795 Score on the @code{References} line.
17801 Score on the number of lines.
17804 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17807 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17808 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17811 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17812 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17813 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17822 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17828 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17829 what headers you are scoring on.
17841 Substring matching.
17844 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17873 Greater than number.
17878 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17879 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17880 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17885 Temporary score entry.
17888 Permanent score entry.
17891 Immediately scoring.
17895 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17896 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17897 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17901 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17902 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17903 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17904 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17906 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17907 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17908 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17909 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17910 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17912 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17913 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17914 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17915 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17916 current score file.
17918 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17919 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17920 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17923 @node Group Score Commands
17924 @section Group Score Commands
17925 @cindex group score commands
17927 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17932 @kindex W f (Group)
17933 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17934 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17935 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17936 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17940 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17942 @findex gnus-batch-score
17943 @cindex batch scoring
17945 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17949 @node Score Variables
17950 @section Score Variables
17951 @cindex score variables
17955 @item gnus-use-scoring
17956 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17957 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17958 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17960 @item gnus-kill-killed
17961 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17962 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17963 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17964 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17965 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17966 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17967 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17969 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17970 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17971 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17972 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17973 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17975 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17976 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17977 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17978 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17980 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17981 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17982 @cindex score cache
17983 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17984 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17985 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
17986 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17987 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17988 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17991 @item gnus-save-score
17992 @vindex gnus-save-score
17993 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17994 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17995 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17997 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17998 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17999 across group visits.
18001 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18002 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18003 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18004 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18005 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18006 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18007 manually entered data.
18009 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18010 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18011 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18013 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18014 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18015 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18016 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18017 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18018 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18020 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18021 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18022 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18023 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18025 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18026 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18027 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18028 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18030 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18031 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18032 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18033 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18035 Predefined functions available are:
18038 @item gnus-score-find-single
18039 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18040 Only apply the group's own score file.
18042 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18043 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18044 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18045 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18046 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18047 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18048 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18049 then a regexp match is done.
18051 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18052 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18054 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18055 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18056 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18057 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18059 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18060 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18061 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18062 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18063 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18067 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18068 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18069 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18070 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18071 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18072 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18073 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18076 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18077 overall score file, you could use the value
18079 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18080 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18083 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18084 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18085 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18086 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18087 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18089 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18090 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18091 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18092 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18093 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18094 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18095 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18096 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18098 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18099 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18100 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18102 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18103 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18104 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18105 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18106 threading---according to the current value of
18107 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18108 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18109 simplified in this manner.
18114 @node Score File Format
18115 @section Score File Format
18116 @cindex score file format
18118 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18119 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18120 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18122 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18126 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18128 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18130 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18132 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18137 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18141 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18142 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18143 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18144 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18148 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18149 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18151 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18152 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18153 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18155 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18160 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18161 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18162 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18163 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18164 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18165 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18166 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18167 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18168 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18169 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18170 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18171 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18172 to articles that matches these score entries.
18174 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18175 score entry has one to four elements.
18179 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18180 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18184 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18185 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18186 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18187 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18188 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18189 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18192 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18193 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18194 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18195 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18196 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18199 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18200 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18201 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18202 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18205 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18206 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18207 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18208 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18209 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18210 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18211 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18212 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18213 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18214 instead, if you feel like.
18217 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18218 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18219 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18220 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18221 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18222 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18225 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18229 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18230 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18232 These predicates are true if
18235 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18238 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18239 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18246 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18247 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18248 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18249 it's not. I think.)
18251 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18252 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18253 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18254 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18257 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18258 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18259 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18260 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18261 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18262 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18263 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18267 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18268 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18269 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18270 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18271 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18272 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18273 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18274 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18277 @item Head, Body, All
18278 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18282 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18283 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18284 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18285 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18286 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18287 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18288 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18292 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18293 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18294 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18295 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18296 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18297 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18298 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18299 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18300 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18301 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18302 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18306 @cindex Score File Atoms
18308 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18309 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18312 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18313 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18315 @item mark-and-expunge
18316 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18317 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18320 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18321 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18322 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18323 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18324 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18327 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18328 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18331 @item exclude-files
18332 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18333 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18337 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18338 ignored when handling global score files.
18341 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18342 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18343 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18344 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18347 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18348 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18349 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18350 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18352 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18356 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18359 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18360 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18361 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18362 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18363 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18365 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18366 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18367 scoring rules exist.
18370 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18371 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18372 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18373 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18374 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18375 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18376 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18377 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18378 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18379 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18380 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18384 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18385 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18386 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18387 file for a number of groups.
18390 @cindex local variables
18391 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
18392 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
18393 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
18394 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
18395 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
18400 @node Score File Editing
18401 @section Score File Editing
18403 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18404 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18405 with a mode for that.
18407 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18408 additional commands:
18413 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18414 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18415 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18416 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18419 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18420 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18421 Insert the current date in numerical format
18422 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18423 you were wondering.
18426 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18427 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18428 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18429 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18430 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18435 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18437 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18438 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18440 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18441 e} to begin editing score files.
18444 @node Adaptive Scoring
18445 @section Adaptive Scoring
18446 @cindex adaptive scoring
18448 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18449 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18450 stupidity, to be precise.
18452 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18453 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18454 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18455 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18456 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18457 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18458 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18459 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18460 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18462 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18463 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18464 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18465 might look something like this:
18468 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18469 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18470 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18471 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18472 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18473 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18474 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18475 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18476 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18477 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18478 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18479 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18482 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18483 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18484 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18485 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18486 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18487 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18490 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18491 will be applied to each article.
18493 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18494 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18495 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18496 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18498 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18499 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18500 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18501 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18503 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18504 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18505 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18506 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18508 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18509 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18510 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18511 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18512 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18513 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18515 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18516 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18517 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18519 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18520 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18521 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18523 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18524 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18525 let you use different rules in different groups.
18527 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18528 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18529 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18532 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18533 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18534 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18535 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18536 the length of the match is less than
18537 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18538 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18541 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18542 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18543 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18544 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18545 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18548 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18549 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18550 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18551 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18552 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18555 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18556 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18557 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18558 score with 30 points.
18560 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18561 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18562 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18563 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18564 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18566 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18567 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18568 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18569 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18570 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18572 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18573 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18574 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18575 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18577 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18578 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18579 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18580 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18582 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18583 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18584 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18585 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18586 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18588 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18589 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18590 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18592 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18593 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18594 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18595 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18598 @node Home Score File
18599 @section Home Score File
18601 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18602 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18603 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18604 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18606 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18607 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18608 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18610 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18611 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18616 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18620 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18621 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18625 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18629 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18630 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18633 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18634 the home score file.
18637 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18640 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18645 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18648 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18649 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18652 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18653 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18655 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18657 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18658 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18661 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18662 Other functions include
18665 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18666 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18667 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18668 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18672 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18673 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18674 their own home score files:
18677 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18678 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18679 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18680 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18681 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18684 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18685 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18686 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18687 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18688 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18690 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18691 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18692 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18693 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18694 precedence over this variable.
18697 @node Followups To Yourself
18698 @section Followups To Yourself
18700 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18701 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18702 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18703 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18704 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18705 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18709 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18710 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18711 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18714 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18715 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18716 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18720 @vindex message-sent-hook
18721 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18722 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18724 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18728 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18729 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18733 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18734 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18737 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18738 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18743 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18747 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18748 is system-dependent.
18751 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18752 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18753 @cindex scoring on other headers
18755 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18756 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18757 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18758 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18759 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18761 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18762 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18763 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18764 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18765 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18767 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18770 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18771 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18774 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18775 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18776 time if you have much mail.
18778 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18779 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18785 @section Scoring Tips
18786 @cindex scoring tips
18792 @cindex scoring crossposts
18793 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18794 the @code{Xref} header.
18796 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18799 @item Multiple crossposts
18800 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18801 more than, say, 3 groups:
18804 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18808 @item Matching on the body
18809 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18810 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18811 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18812 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18813 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18814 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18815 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18818 @item Marking as read
18819 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18820 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18821 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18825 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18827 @item Negated character classes
18828 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18829 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18830 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18834 @node Reverse Scoring
18835 @section Reverse Scoring
18836 @cindex reverse scoring
18838 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18839 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18840 like this in your score file:
18844 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18849 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18850 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18853 @node Global Score Files
18854 @section Global Score Files
18855 @cindex global score files
18857 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18858 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18859 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18861 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18862 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18863 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18865 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18866 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18867 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18868 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18869 files are applicable to which group.
18871 To use the score file
18872 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18873 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18877 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18878 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18879 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18882 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18884 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18885 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18886 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18887 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18889 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18890 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18892 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18893 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18894 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18895 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18896 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18897 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18899 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18905 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18907 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18909 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18911 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18912 lowered out of existence.
18914 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18915 articles completely.
18918 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18919 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18920 old articles for a long time.
18923 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18924 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18925 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18926 holding our breath yet?
18930 @section Kill Files
18933 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18934 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18935 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18937 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18938 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18939 files into score files.
18941 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18942 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18943 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18944 that isn't a very good idea.
18946 Normal kill files look like this:
18949 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18950 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18954 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18955 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18957 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18958 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18961 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18966 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18967 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18968 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18971 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18972 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18973 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18976 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18981 @kindex M-k (Group)
18982 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18983 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18986 @kindex M-K (Group)
18987 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18988 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18991 Kill file variables:
18994 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18995 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18996 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18997 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18998 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18999 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19000 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19002 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19003 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19004 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19005 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19008 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19009 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19010 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19011 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19012 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19013 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19014 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19015 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19016 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19018 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19019 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19020 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19025 @node Converting Kill Files
19026 @section Converting Kill Files
19028 @cindex converting kill files
19030 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19031 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19032 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19035 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19036 You can fetch it from
19037 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19039 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19040 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19041 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19049 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19050 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19051 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19052 news articles generated every day.
19054 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19055 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19056 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19057 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19058 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19059 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19060 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19061 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19064 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19065 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19068 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19069 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19070 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19071 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19075 @node Using GroupLens
19076 @subsection Using GroupLens
19078 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19080 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19081 better bit in town at the moment.
19083 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19087 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19088 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19089 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19090 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19092 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19093 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19094 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19095 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19097 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19098 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19099 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19103 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19104 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19105 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19106 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19107 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19108 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19111 @node Rating Articles
19112 @subsection Rating Articles
19114 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19115 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19116 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19117 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19120 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19125 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19126 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19127 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19130 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19131 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19132 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19133 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19134 threads in rec.humor.
19138 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19139 the score of the article you're reading.
19144 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19145 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19146 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19149 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19150 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19151 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19155 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19156 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19159 @node Displaying Predictions
19160 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19162 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19163 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19164 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19165 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19166 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19168 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19169 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19170 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19171 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19172 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19173 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19174 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19175 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19176 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19177 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19178 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19179 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19180 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19182 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19183 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19184 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19185 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19187 The following are valid values for that variable.
19190 @item prediction-spot
19191 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19194 @item confidence-interval
19195 A numeric confidence interval.
19197 @item prediction-bar
19198 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19200 @item confidence-bar
19201 Numerical confidence.
19203 @item confidence-spot
19204 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19206 @item prediction-num
19207 Plain-old numeric value.
19209 @item confidence-plus-minus
19210 Prediction +/- confidence.
19215 @node GroupLens Variables
19216 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19220 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19221 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19222 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19223 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19226 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19227 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19230 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19231 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19233 @item grouplens-score-offset
19234 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19235 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19238 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19239 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19240 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19245 @node Advanced Scoring
19246 @section Advanced Scoring
19248 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19249 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19250 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19251 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19252 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19254 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19258 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19259 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19260 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19264 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19265 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19267 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19268 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19269 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19270 non-@code{nil} value.
19272 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19273 operator, and various match operators.
19280 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19281 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19282 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19287 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19288 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19289 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19294 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19295 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19299 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19300 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19301 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19302 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19303 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19304 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19305 the ancestry you want to go.
19307 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19308 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19309 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19310 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19311 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19314 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19315 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19317 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19318 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19321 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19322 when he's talking about Gnus:
19326 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19327 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19333 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19337 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19344 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19345 really don't want to read what he's written:
19349 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19350 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19354 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19355 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19356 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19363 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19364 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19365 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19366 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19370 The possibilities are endless.
19373 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19374 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19376 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19377 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19378 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19379 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19380 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19381 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19382 @samp{subject}) first.
19384 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19385 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19396 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19397 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19403 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19410 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19411 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19416 @section Score Decays
19417 @cindex score decays
19420 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19421 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19422 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19423 use them in any sensible way.
19425 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19426 @findex gnus-decay-score
19427 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19428 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19429 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19430 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19431 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19432 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19433 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19434 definition of that function:
19437 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19439 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19440 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19443 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19445 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19447 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19450 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19451 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19452 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19453 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19457 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19460 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19463 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19467 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19468 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19469 the new score, which should be an integer.
19471 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19472 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19477 @include message.texi
19478 @chapter Emacs MIME
19479 @include emacs-mime.texi
19481 @include sieve.texi
19483 @c @include pgg.texi
19491 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19492 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19493 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19494 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19495 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19496 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19497 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19498 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19499 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19500 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19501 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19502 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19503 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19504 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19505 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19506 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19507 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19508 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19509 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19513 @node Process/Prefix
19514 @section Process/Prefix
19515 @cindex process/prefix convention
19517 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19518 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19520 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19521 command to be performed on.
19525 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19526 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19527 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19528 with the current one.
19530 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19531 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19532 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19534 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19535 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19538 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19539 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19541 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19544 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19545 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19546 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19547 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19549 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19550 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19551 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19552 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19553 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19554 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19555 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19556 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19558 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19559 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19560 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19561 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19562 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
19566 @section Interactive
19567 @cindex interaction
19571 @item gnus-novice-user
19572 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19573 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19574 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19575 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19576 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19579 @item gnus-expert-user
19580 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19581 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19582 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19583 matter how strange.
19585 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19586 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19587 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19588 is @code{t} by default.
19590 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19591 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19592 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19597 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19598 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19599 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19601 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19602 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19603 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19604 rule of 900 to the current article.
19606 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19607 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19608 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19609 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19610 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19611 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19612 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19614 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19615 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19616 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19617 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19618 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19619 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19620 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19621 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19622 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19624 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19625 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19626 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19628 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19632 @node Formatting Variables
19633 @section Formatting Variables
19634 @cindex formatting variables
19636 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19637 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19638 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19639 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19640 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19643 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19644 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19645 lots of percentages everywhere.
19648 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19649 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19650 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19651 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19652 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19653 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19654 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19655 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19658 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19659 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19660 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19661 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19662 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19663 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19664 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19665 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19667 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19668 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19670 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19671 @findex gnus-update-format
19672 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19673 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19674 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19675 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19679 @node Formatting Basics
19680 @subsection Formatting Basics
19682 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19683 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19684 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19686 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19687 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19688 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19689 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19690 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19693 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19694 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19695 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19696 less than 4 characters wide.
19698 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19699 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19702 @node Mode Line Formatting
19703 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19705 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19706 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19707 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19708 with the following two differences:
19713 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19716 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19717 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19718 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19719 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19720 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19721 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19722 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19727 @node Advanced Formatting
19728 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19730 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19731 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19732 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19733 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19735 These are the valid modifiers:
19740 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19744 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19749 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19752 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19757 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19760 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19763 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19766 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19772 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19777 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19778 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19779 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19780 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19781 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19782 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19783 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19785 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19786 last operation, padding.
19788 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19789 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
19790 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
19791 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
19792 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
19793 the look of your lines.
19794 @xref{Compilation}.
19797 @node User-Defined Specs
19798 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19800 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19801 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19802 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19803 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19804 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19805 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19806 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19807 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19808 should protect against that.
19810 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19811 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19813 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19814 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19815 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19816 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19820 @node Formatting Fonts
19821 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19823 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19824 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19825 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19826 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19829 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19830 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19831 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19832 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19833 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19834 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19836 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19837 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19838 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19839 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19840 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19841 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19842 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19843 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19844 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19845 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19847 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19850 ;; Create three face types.
19851 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19852 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19854 ;; We want the article count to be in
19855 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19856 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19857 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19859 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19860 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19862 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19863 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19864 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19867 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19868 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19870 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19871 mode-line variables.
19873 @node Positioning Point
19874 @subsection Positioning Point
19876 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19877 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19878 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19880 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19882 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19883 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19884 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19886 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19887 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
19888 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19893 @subsection Tabulation
19895 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19896 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19897 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19898 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19900 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19901 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19903 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19904 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19905 This is the soft tabulator.
19907 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19908 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19909 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19912 @node Wide Characters
19913 @subsection Wide Characters
19915 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19916 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19917 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19919 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19920 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19921 these countries, that's not true.
19923 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19924 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19925 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19926 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19930 @node Window Layout
19931 @section Window Layout
19932 @cindex window layout
19934 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19936 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19937 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19938 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19939 @code{t} by default.
19941 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19942 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19944 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19945 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19946 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19949 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19950 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19951 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19955 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19956 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19957 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19958 possible names is listed below.
19960 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19961 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19964 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19968 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19969 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19970 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19971 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19972 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19973 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19974 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19975 size spec per split.
19977 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19978 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19979 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19980 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19981 present) gets focus.
19983 Here's a more complicated example:
19986 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19987 (summary 0.25 point)
19988 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19992 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19993 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19994 occupy, not a percentage.
19996 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19997 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19998 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19999 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20000 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20003 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20006 (article (horizontal 1.0
20011 (summary 0.25 point)
20016 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20017 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20019 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20020 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20021 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20022 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20023 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20025 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20026 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20027 lines from the splits.
20029 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20033 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20034 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20035 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20036 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20037 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20038 size = number | frame-params
20039 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20042 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20043 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20044 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20045 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20047 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20048 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20049 @cindex window height
20050 @cindex window width
20051 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20052 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20053 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20054 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20055 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20056 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20058 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20059 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20060 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20061 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20063 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20064 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20065 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20066 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20067 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20068 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20069 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20070 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20071 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20072 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20073 configuration list.
20076 (gnus-configure-frame
20080 (article 0.3 point))
20088 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20089 @code{frame} split:
20092 (gnus-configure-frame
20095 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20097 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20098 (user-position . t)
20099 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20104 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20105 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20106 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20107 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20108 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20109 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20110 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20111 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20113 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20114 be found in its default value.
20116 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20117 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20118 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20122 (message (horizontal 1.0
20123 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20125 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20130 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20131 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20132 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20137 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20138 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20139 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20140 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20141 (name . "Message"))
20142 (message 1.0 point))))
20145 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20146 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20147 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20148 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20149 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20152 (gnus-add-configuration
20153 '(article (vertical 1.0
20155 (summary .25 point)
20159 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20160 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20161 Gnus has been loaded.
20163 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20164 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20165 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20166 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20167 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20169 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20170 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20171 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20174 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20178 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20179 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20194 (gnus-add-configuration
20197 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20199 (summary 0.16 point)
20202 (gnus-add-configuration
20205 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20206 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20212 @node Faces and Fonts
20213 @section Faces and Fonts
20218 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20219 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20220 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20225 @section Compilation
20226 @cindex compilation
20227 @cindex byte-compilation
20229 @findex gnus-compile
20231 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20232 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20233 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
20234 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
20235 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
20236 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20237 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20238 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20241 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20242 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20243 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20244 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
20245 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20248 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
20249 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20250 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
20251 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
20252 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
20257 @section Mode Lines
20260 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20261 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20262 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20263 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20264 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20265 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20266 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20269 @cindex display-time
20271 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20272 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20273 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20274 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20275 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20276 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20277 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20278 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20281 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20283 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20284 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20286 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20287 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20288 (length display-time-string)))))
20291 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20292 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20293 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20294 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20295 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20298 @node Highlighting and Menus
20299 @section Highlighting and Menus
20301 @cindex highlighting
20304 @vindex gnus-visual
20305 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20306 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20307 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20310 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20311 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20314 @item group-highlight
20315 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20316 @item summary-highlight
20317 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20318 @item article-highlight
20319 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20321 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20323 Create menus in the group buffer.
20325 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20327 Create menus in the article buffer.
20329 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20331 Create menus in the server buffer.
20333 Create menus in the score buffers.
20335 Create menus in all buffers.
20338 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20339 buffers, you could say something like:
20342 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20345 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20348 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20351 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20352 in all Gnus buffers.
20354 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20357 @item gnus-mouse-face
20358 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20359 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20360 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20364 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20368 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20369 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20370 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20372 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20373 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20374 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20376 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20377 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20378 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20380 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20381 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20382 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20384 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20385 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20386 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20388 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20389 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20390 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20401 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20402 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20403 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20404 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20405 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20409 @vindex gnus-carpal
20410 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20411 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20412 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20417 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20418 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20419 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20421 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20422 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20423 Face used on buttons.
20425 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20426 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20427 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20429 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20430 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20431 Buttons in the group buffer.
20433 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20434 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20435 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20437 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20438 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20439 Buttons in the server buffer.
20441 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20442 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20443 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20446 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20447 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20448 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20456 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20457 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20458 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20459 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20460 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20462 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20463 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20464 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20466 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20467 been idle for thirty minutes:
20470 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20473 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20477 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20480 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20481 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20482 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20484 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20485 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20486 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20487 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20489 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20490 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20491 @var{idle} minutes.
20493 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20494 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20497 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20498 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20499 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20501 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20502 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20503 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20504 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20506 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20507 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20509 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20511 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20514 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20515 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20516 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20517 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20518 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20519 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20520 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20521 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20522 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20523 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20524 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20526 @findex gnus-demon-init
20527 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20528 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20529 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20530 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20531 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20533 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20534 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20535 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20544 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20545 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20547 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20548 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20549 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20550 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20553 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20554 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20555 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20556 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20558 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20559 this will make spam disappear.
20561 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20564 @item gnus-use-nocem
20565 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20566 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20569 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20570 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20571 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20572 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20573 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20575 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20576 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20577 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20578 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20579 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20580 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20582 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20583 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20585 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20586 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20587 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20588 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20589 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20590 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20591 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20592 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20593 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20594 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20596 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20597 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20600 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20603 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20604 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20607 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20610 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20613 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20614 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20616 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20617 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20618 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20619 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20621 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20622 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20625 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20627 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20635 This might be dangerous, though.
20637 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20638 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20639 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20640 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20642 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20643 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20644 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20645 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20646 might then see old spam.
20648 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20649 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20650 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20651 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20652 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20655 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20656 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20657 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20658 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20662 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20663 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20664 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20665 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20672 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20673 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20674 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20676 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20677 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20678 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20679 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20680 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20681 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20682 @code{undo} function.
20684 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20685 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20686 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20687 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20688 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20689 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20690 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20691 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20692 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20693 never be totally undoable.
20695 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20696 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20698 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20699 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20700 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20701 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20705 @node Predicate Specifiers
20706 @section Predicate Specifiers
20707 @cindex predicate specifiers
20709 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20710 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20711 to type all that much.
20713 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20718 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20719 gnus-article-unread-p)
20722 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20723 functions all take one parameter.
20725 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20726 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20727 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20728 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20733 @section Moderation
20736 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20737 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20738 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20741 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20745 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20748 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20750 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20755 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20756 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20757 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20760 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20761 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20764 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20765 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20769 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20772 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20773 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20777 @node Image Enhancements
20778 @section Image Enhancements
20780 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20781 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20784 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20785 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20786 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20787 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20800 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20801 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20802 over your shoulder as you read news.
20804 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20813 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20814 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20815 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20816 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20817 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20818 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20819 @code{GIF} formats.
20822 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
20823 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
20824 point your Web browser at
20825 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
20827 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20828 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20830 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
20831 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
20834 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
20838 @item gnus-picon-databases
20839 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
20840 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
20841 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20842 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
20843 "/usr/local/faces")}.
20845 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
20846 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
20847 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
20848 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20850 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
20851 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
20852 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
20853 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
20855 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
20856 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
20857 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
20858 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20859 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20861 @item gnus-picon-file-types
20862 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
20863 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20864 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
20869 @subsection Smileys
20874 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20879 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20880 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20882 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20883 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20886 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20889 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
20890 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20891 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20892 text and maps that to file names.
20894 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
20895 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
20896 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
20897 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
20898 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
20901 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20906 @item smiley-data-directory
20907 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20908 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20910 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
20911 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
20912 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
20921 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20922 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20923 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20927 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20928 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20929 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20930 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20938 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20939 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20940 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20941 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20943 The variable that controls this is the
20944 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20945 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20946 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20947 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20948 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20950 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20951 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20952 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20953 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20956 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20957 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20958 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20959 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20960 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20961 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20962 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20963 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20965 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20968 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20969 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20971 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20972 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
20973 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
20974 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
20975 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20976 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20977 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20978 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
20979 header data as a string.
20981 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
20982 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
20983 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
20984 randomly generated data.
20986 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
20987 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
20988 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20989 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20990 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20992 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
20993 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20996 (setq message-required-news-headers
20997 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20998 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21001 Using the last function would be something like this:
21004 (setq message-required-news-headers
21005 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21006 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21007 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21008 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21013 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21016 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21017 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21018 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21019 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21020 unusual directory structure.
21022 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21023 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21024 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21025 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21027 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21028 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21029 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21030 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21031 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21032 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21034 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21035 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21036 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21041 @subsubsection Toolbar
21045 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21046 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21047 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21048 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21049 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21051 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21052 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21053 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21055 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21056 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21057 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21059 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21060 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21061 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21072 @node Fuzzy Matching
21073 @section Fuzzy Matching
21074 @cindex fuzzy matching
21076 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21077 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21079 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21080 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21081 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21083 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21084 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21085 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21086 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21087 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21090 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21091 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21095 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21097 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21098 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21099 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21100 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21101 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21102 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21103 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21104 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21107 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21108 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21109 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21110 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21111 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21112 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21114 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21117 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21118 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21119 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21120 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21121 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21122 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21125 @node The problem of spam
21126 @subsection The problem of spam
21128 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21129 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21131 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21133 First, some background on spam.
21135 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21136 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21137 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21138 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21139 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21140 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21141 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21142 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21144 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21145 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21146 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21147 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21148 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21149 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21150 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21151 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21152 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21155 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21156 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21157 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21158 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21159 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21160 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21161 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21162 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21163 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21164 mail can be useful.
21166 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21167 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21168 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21169 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21170 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21171 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21172 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21173 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21174 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21176 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21177 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21178 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21179 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21180 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21181 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21182 because of the incident.
21184 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21185 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21186 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21187 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21188 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21189 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21190 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21191 to store the database of spam analyses.
21193 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21194 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21198 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21200 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21201 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21203 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21204 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21205 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21206 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21207 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21208 part of the mail address.)
21211 (setq message-default-news-headers
21212 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21215 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21216 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21221 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21222 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21223 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21229 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21230 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21231 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21232 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21234 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21235 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21236 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21237 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21238 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21239 your fancy split rule in this way:
21244 (to "larsi" "misc")
21248 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21249 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21250 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21251 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21252 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21254 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21255 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21256 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21257 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21258 cosmic balance somewhat.
21260 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21261 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21262 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21263 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21268 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21269 @cindex SpamAssassin
21270 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21273 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21274 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21275 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21276 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21277 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21278 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21279 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21281 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21282 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21283 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21284 Specifiers}) follows.
21288 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21291 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21294 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21295 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21296 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21299 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21303 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21306 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21307 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21311 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21312 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21313 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21314 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21317 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21319 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21321 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21322 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21324 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21326 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21327 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21331 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21332 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21333 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21336 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21337 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21339 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21340 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21341 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21345 @subsection Hashcash
21348 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21349 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21350 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21351 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21352 in smaller communities.
21354 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21355 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21356 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21357 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21358 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21359 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21360 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21361 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21362 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21363 one of them separately.
21366 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21367 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21368 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21369 header. For more details, and for the external application
21370 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21371 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21372 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21374 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21378 (require 'hashcash)
21379 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21382 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21383 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21384 development contrib directory.
21386 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21390 @item hashcash-default-payment
21391 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21392 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21393 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21394 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21396 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21397 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21398 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21399 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21400 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21401 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21402 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21403 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21407 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21411 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21412 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21413 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21414 a useful contribution, however.
21416 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21417 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21418 @cindex spam filtering
21421 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21422 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21423 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21424 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21427 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21428 the following keyboard commands:
21438 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21439 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21441 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
21442 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21443 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21444 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21450 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21451 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21453 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
21459 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21460 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21463 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21464 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21465 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21466 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21467 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21468 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21469 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21470 will be detected later.
21472 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21473 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21474 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21475 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21476 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21477 by customizing the corresponding variable
21478 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21479 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21480 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21481 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21482 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21483 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21484 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21487 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21488 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21489 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
21490 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
21491 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
21492 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21493 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21494 will study them as spam samples.
21496 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21497 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21498 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21499 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21500 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21501 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21502 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21503 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21505 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21506 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21507 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21508 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21511 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21512 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21513 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21516 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21517 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21518 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21519 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21520 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21521 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
21524 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21525 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21526 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21527 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21528 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21529 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
21530 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
21531 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
21532 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
21533 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21534 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21536 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21537 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21539 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21540 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21541 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
21542 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
21543 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
21544 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
21545 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
21546 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
21547 the spam articles are only expired.
21549 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21550 must add the following to your fancy split list
21551 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21557 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21558 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21559 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21561 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21562 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21563 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21564 but you can customize it.
21566 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
21568 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
21569 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
21570 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
21571 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
21572 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
21573 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
21574 because it will slow IMAP down.
21576 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
21578 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
21579 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
21580 longer spam or ham.}
21582 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
21583 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
21586 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21587 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21590 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21591 * BBDB Whitelists::
21593 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
21595 * ifile spam filtering::
21596 * spam-stat spam filtering::
21597 * Extending the spam elisp package::
21600 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21601 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21602 @cindex spam filtering
21603 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21604 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21607 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21609 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
21610 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
21611 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
21612 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
21617 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21619 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
21620 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
21621 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21622 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
21623 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21627 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
21629 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
21630 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21631 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
21635 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21637 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21638 customizing the group parameters or the
21639 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21640 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21641 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21645 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21647 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21648 customizing the group parameters or the
21649 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21650 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21651 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21652 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21653 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21657 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21658 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21659 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21660 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21661 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21663 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21664 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
21665 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
21666 Emacs regular expression syntax.
21668 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21669 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21670 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21671 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21672 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21673 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21675 @node BBDB Whitelists
21676 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21677 @cindex spam filtering
21678 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21679 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21682 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21684 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21685 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
21686 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
21687 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
21688 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21689 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
21690 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21694 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
21696 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
21697 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21698 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
21699 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
21700 classified as spammers.
21704 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21706 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21707 customizing the group parameters or the
21708 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21709 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21710 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21711 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21712 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21717 @subsubsection Blackholes
21718 @cindex spam filtering
21719 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21722 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21724 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
21725 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
21726 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
21727 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
21728 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
21729 contains outdated servers.
21731 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
21732 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
21733 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
21734 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
21735 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
21736 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
21740 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
21742 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
21746 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
21748 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
21749 blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
21753 @defvar spam-use-dig
21755 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
21756 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
21760 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
21761 ham processor for blackholes.
21763 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
21764 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
21765 @cindex spam filtering
21766 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
21769 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
21771 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
21772 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
21773 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
21774 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
21775 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
21776 message is spam or ham, respectively.
21780 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
21782 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
21783 the message, positively identify it as spam.
21787 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
21789 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
21790 the message, positively identify it as ham.
21794 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
21795 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
21798 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21799 @cindex spam filtering
21800 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21803 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21805 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21808 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
21809 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21810 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21811 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
21812 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
21813 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
21815 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
21816 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
21819 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
21820 processing will be turned off.
21822 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
21826 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
21828 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21829 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
21830 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
21831 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
21832 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
21833 installation documents for details.
21835 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
21839 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
21840 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21841 customizing the group parameters or the
21842 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21843 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
21844 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
21847 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
21848 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21849 customizing the group parameters or the
21850 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21851 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21852 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
21853 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21854 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21857 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
21859 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
21860 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
21861 database directory.
21865 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
21866 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21867 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
21868 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
21869 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
21870 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
21872 @node ifile spam filtering
21873 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
21874 @cindex spam filtering
21875 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21878 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21880 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
21881 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
21885 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
21887 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
21888 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
21889 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
21893 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
21895 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
21896 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
21897 the default value of @samp{spam}.
21900 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
21902 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
21903 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
21907 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
21908 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21909 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
21910 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
21913 @node spam-stat spam filtering
21914 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
21915 @cindex spam filtering
21916 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
21920 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
21922 @defvar spam-use-stat
21924 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
21925 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
21929 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
21930 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21931 customizing the group parameters or the
21932 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21933 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
21934 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
21937 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
21938 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21939 customizing the group parameters or the
21940 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21941 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21942 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
21943 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21944 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21947 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
21948 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
21949 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
21950 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
21953 @node Extending the spam elisp package
21954 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
21955 @cindex spam filtering
21956 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
21957 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
21959 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
21960 incoming mail, provide the following:
21968 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21969 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21974 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21976 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21981 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21982 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21983 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21986 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
21993 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
21994 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
21997 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21998 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
21999 Only applicable to spam groups.")
22001 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22002 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
22003 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
22011 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
22012 (spam-generic-register-routine
22013 ;; the spam function
22015 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22016 (when (stringp from)
22017 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
22018 ;; the ham function
22021 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
22022 (spam-generic-register-routine
22023 ;; the spam function
22025 ;; the ham function
22027 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22028 (when (stringp from)
22029 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22032 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22033 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22034 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22035 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22036 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22037 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22042 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22043 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22044 @cindex Paul Graham
22045 @cindex Graham, Paul
22046 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22047 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22048 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22050 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22051 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22052 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22053 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22054 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22055 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22056 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22057 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22058 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22061 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22062 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22063 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22064 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22065 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22066 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22067 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22068 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22070 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22071 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22072 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22073 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22074 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22077 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22078 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22079 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22082 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22083 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22085 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22086 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22087 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22088 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22089 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22091 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22092 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22093 per mail. Use the following:
22095 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22096 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22097 is treated as one spam mail.
22100 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22101 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22102 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22105 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22106 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22107 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22108 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22109 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22110 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22112 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22113 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22114 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22115 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22116 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22119 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22120 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22121 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22122 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22125 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22126 reset the dictionary.
22128 @defun spam-stat-reset
22129 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22132 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22133 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22134 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22135 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22136 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22137 only non-spam mails.
22139 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22140 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22141 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22144 @defun spam-stat-save
22145 Save the dictionary.
22148 @defvar spam-stat-file
22149 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22150 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22153 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22154 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22156 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22157 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22160 (require 'spam-stat)
22164 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22167 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22168 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22169 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22170 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22172 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22173 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22174 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22175 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22178 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22179 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22183 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22184 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22187 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22188 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22189 expression are considered potential spam.
22192 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22193 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22194 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22198 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22199 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22200 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22201 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22202 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22205 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22206 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22207 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22211 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22212 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22213 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22214 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22215 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22219 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22220 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22221 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22222 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22227 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22228 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22230 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22232 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22233 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22234 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22237 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22238 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22239 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22242 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22243 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22244 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22245 already been processed as non-spam.
22248 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22249 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22250 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22251 been processed as spam.
22254 @defun spam-stat-save
22255 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22256 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22259 @defun spam-stat-load
22260 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22261 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22264 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22265 Return the spam score for a word.
22268 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22269 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22272 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22273 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22274 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22277 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22278 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22281 (require 'spam-stat)
22285 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22288 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22289 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22290 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22291 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22292 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22293 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22294 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22295 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22296 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22297 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22298 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22299 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22300 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22301 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22304 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22307 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22308 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22309 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22310 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22311 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22312 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22315 @node Various Various
22316 @section Various Various
22322 @item gnus-home-directory
22323 @vindex gnus-home-directory
22324 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
22325 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
22327 @item gnus-directory
22328 @vindex gnus-directory
22329 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
22330 this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
22331 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22333 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22334 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22335 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22336 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22338 @item gnus-default-directory
22339 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22340 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22341 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22342 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22343 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22344 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22345 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22348 @vindex gnus-verbose
22349 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22350 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22351 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22352 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22353 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22355 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22356 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22357 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22358 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22360 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22361 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22362 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22363 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22364 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22365 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22366 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22367 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22368 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22369 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22371 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22372 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22373 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22374 read when doing the operation described above.
22376 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22377 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22379 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22380 @cindex characters in file names
22381 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22382 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22383 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22386 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22390 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22391 Windows (phooey) systems.
22393 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22394 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22395 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22396 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22397 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22399 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22400 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22401 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22402 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22403 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22405 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22406 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22407 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22409 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22410 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22412 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22413 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22414 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22415 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22418 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22426 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22427 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22429 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22431 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22437 Not because of victories @*
22440 but for the common sunshine,@*
22442 the largess of the spring.
22446 but for the day's work done@*
22447 as well as I was able;@*
22448 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22449 but at the common table.@*
22454 @chapter Appendices
22457 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22458 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22459 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22460 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22461 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22462 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22463 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22464 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22465 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22472 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22474 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22475 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22476 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22477 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22478 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22479 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22486 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22487 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22489 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22490 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22491 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22492 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22493 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22495 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22496 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22497 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22498 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22499 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22500 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22502 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22503 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22504 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22505 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22508 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22509 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22510 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22511 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22512 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22513 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22514 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22515 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22516 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22520 @node Gnus Versions
22521 @subsection Gnus Versions
22523 @cindex September Gnus
22525 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22526 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22530 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22531 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22532 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22534 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22535 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22537 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22538 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22540 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22541 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22543 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22544 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22547 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22549 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22550 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22551 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22552 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22553 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22554 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22557 @node Other Gnus Versions
22558 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22561 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22562 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22563 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22564 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22566 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22567 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22568 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22569 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22576 What's the point of Gnus?
22578 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22579 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22580 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22581 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22582 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22583 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22584 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22585 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22586 keep track of millions of people who post?
22588 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22589 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22590 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22591 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22592 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22593 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22594 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22595 every one of you to explore and invent.
22597 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22598 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22601 @node Compatibility
22602 @subsection Compatibility
22604 @cindex compatibility
22605 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22606 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22607 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22612 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22616 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22619 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22622 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22623 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22624 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22625 important variables have their values copied into their global
22626 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22627 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22629 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22630 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22631 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22632 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22633 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22637 @cindex highlighting
22638 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22639 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22640 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22641 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22642 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22643 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22646 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22647 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22648 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22649 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22651 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22652 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22653 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22654 to stop doing it the old way.
22656 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22658 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22660 @cindex reporting bugs
22662 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22663 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22664 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22666 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22667 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22668 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22669 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22674 @subsection Conformity
22676 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22677 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22685 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22689 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22691 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22692 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22693 We do have some breaches to this one.
22699 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22700 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22701 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22702 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22703 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22708 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22709 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22710 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22711 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22713 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22715 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22717 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22718 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22720 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22723 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22724 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22725 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22726 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22727 decoding (verification and decryption).
22729 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22730 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22731 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22732 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22734 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22735 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22737 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22738 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22739 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22740 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22741 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22742 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22743 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22747 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22748 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22753 @subsection Emacsen
22759 Gnus should work on :
22767 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
22771 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22772 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22773 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
22774 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
22775 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
22777 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22778 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22779 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22783 @node Gnus Development
22784 @subsection Gnus Development
22786 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22787 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22788 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22789 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22790 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22791 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22792 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22793 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22795 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22796 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22797 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22798 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22799 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22802 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22803 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22804 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22805 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22806 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22808 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22809 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22810 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22811 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22812 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22813 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22814 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22815 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22816 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22817 can't be assumed to do so.
22822 @subsection Contributors
22823 @cindex contributors
22825 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22826 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22827 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22828 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22829 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22830 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22831 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22832 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22833 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22834 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22836 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
22842 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22845 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22846 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22847 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22848 functionality and stuff.
22851 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22852 well as numerous other things).
22855 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22858 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22861 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22864 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22867 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22868 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22871 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22874 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22875 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22878 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22881 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22884 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22887 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22890 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22891 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22894 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22897 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22900 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22903 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22907 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22910 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22913 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22916 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22917 well as autoconf support.
22921 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22922 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22924 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22933 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22937 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22947 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22962 Massimo Campostrini,
22967 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22968 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22972 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22975 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22981 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22986 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22990 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22998 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
23000 Michelangelo Grigni,
23004 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
23006 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
23008 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
23015 François Felix Ingrand,
23016 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
23017 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
23019 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23030 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23031 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23033 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23034 Thor Kristoffersen,
23037 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23055 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23056 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23063 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23068 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23072 John McClary Prevost,
23078 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23083 Christian von Roques,
23086 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23093 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23095 Randal L. Schwartz,
23109 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23114 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23130 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
23135 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23136 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23137 (550kB and counting).
23139 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23142 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23143 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23147 @subsection New Features
23148 @cindex new features
23151 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23152 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23153 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23154 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23155 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23158 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23159 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23160 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23163 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23165 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23170 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23171 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23174 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23175 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23178 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23181 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23182 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23183 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23186 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23187 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23188 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23189 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23192 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23193 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23196 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23197 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23198 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23201 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23202 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23205 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23206 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23207 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23210 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23211 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23212 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23215 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23216 the @file{.emacs} file.
23219 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23220 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23223 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23224 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23227 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23228 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23231 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23232 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23235 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23236 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23239 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23242 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23243 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23246 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23247 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23250 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23251 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23254 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23257 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23258 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23261 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23265 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23269 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23270 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23273 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23279 @node September Gnus
23280 @subsubsection September Gnus
23284 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23288 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23293 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23294 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23298 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23299 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23303 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23307 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23308 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23311 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23315 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23318 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23321 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23324 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23328 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23329 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23332 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23336 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23340 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23344 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23348 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23351 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23352 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23355 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23359 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23360 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23363 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23366 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23367 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23368 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23371 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23375 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23378 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23382 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23383 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23386 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23387 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23390 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23391 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23394 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23395 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23396 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23399 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23400 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23403 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23406 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23409 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23412 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23415 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23416 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23419 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23423 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23426 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23431 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23434 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23438 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23441 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23445 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23448 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23451 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23452 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23455 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23456 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23460 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23461 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23464 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23468 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23469 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23472 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23475 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23479 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23483 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23484 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23487 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23491 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23492 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23495 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23496 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23499 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23503 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23506 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23509 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23515 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23517 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23521 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23528 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23531 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23532 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23535 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23536 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23540 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23541 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23544 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23547 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23548 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23551 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23555 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23556 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23560 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23561 Server Internals}).
23564 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23568 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23571 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23572 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23575 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23576 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23577 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23580 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23581 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23584 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23585 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23588 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23592 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23593 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23596 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23597 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23600 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23604 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23607 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23611 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23612 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23615 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23616 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23619 A new command for reading collections of documents
23620 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23621 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23624 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23628 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23629 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23632 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23633 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23634 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23637 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23638 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23642 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23646 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23650 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23655 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23659 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23663 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23664 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23667 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23673 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23675 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23680 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23681 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23682 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23685 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23686 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23687 group, which is created automatically.
23690 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23694 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23697 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23698 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23701 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23705 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23708 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23709 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23712 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23715 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
23716 Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
23719 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23720 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
23723 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23724 control over simplification.
23727 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23730 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23734 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23737 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23740 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23741 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23742 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23745 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23746 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23749 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23753 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23754 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23757 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23758 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23761 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23765 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23768 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23771 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23772 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23775 A new function for citing in Message has been
23776 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23779 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23782 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23786 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23787 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23790 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
23791 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23794 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23797 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23801 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23802 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23804 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23809 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23810 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23812 If you used procmail like in
23815 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23816 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23817 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23818 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23821 this now has changed to
23825 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23829 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23830 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23833 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23834 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23837 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23838 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23841 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23842 called to position point.
23845 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23846 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23849 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23850 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23853 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23854 subtly different manner.
23857 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23858 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23859 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23862 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23870 @section The Manual
23874 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23875 either @code{texi2dvi}
23877 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23878 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23880 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23882 The following conventions have been used:
23887 This is a @samp{string}
23890 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23893 This is a @file{file}
23896 This is a @code{symbol}
23900 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23904 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23907 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23910 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23913 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23914 ever get them confused.
23918 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23919 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23920 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23921 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23922 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23923 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23924 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23930 @node On Writing Manuals
23931 @section On Writing Manuals
23933 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23934 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23935 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23936 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23937 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23938 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23941 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23942 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23943 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23946 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23947 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23952 @section Terminology
23954 @cindex terminology
23959 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23960 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23961 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23962 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23963 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23967 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23968 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23969 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23970 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23974 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23978 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23983 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23984 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23985 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23986 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23987 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23988 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23989 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23990 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23991 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23993 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23994 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23995 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23996 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23997 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
24000 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
24001 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
24002 access the articles.
24004 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
24005 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
24006 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
24011 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
24012 default, way of getting news.
24016 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
24017 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
24022 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
24023 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
24027 A message that has been posted as news.
24030 @cindex mail message
24031 A message that has been mailed.
24035 A mail message or news article
24039 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
24044 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
24049 A line from the head of an article.
24053 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
24054 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
24058 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
24059 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
24060 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
24061 normal @sc{head} format.
24065 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
24066 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
24067 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
24068 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
24069 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
24070 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
24072 @item killed groups
24073 @cindex killed groups
24074 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
24075 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
24077 @item zombie groups
24078 @cindex zombie groups
24079 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
24082 @cindex active file
24083 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
24084 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
24085 is rather large, as you might surmise.
24088 @cindex bogus groups
24089 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
24090 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
24091 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
24094 @cindex activating groups
24095 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
24096 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
24097 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
24101 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24103 @item select method
24104 @cindex select method
24105 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24108 @item virtual server
24109 @cindex virtual server
24110 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24111 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24112 whole is a virtual server.
24116 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24117 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24120 @item ephemeral groups
24121 @cindex ephemeral groups
24122 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24123 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24124 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24127 @cindex solid groups
24128 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24129 group buffer are solid groups.
24131 @item sparse articles
24132 @cindex sparse articles
24133 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24134 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24138 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24139 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24143 @cindex thread root
24144 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24145 articles in the thread.
24149 An article that has responses.
24153 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24157 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24158 specified by RFC 1153.
24164 @node Customization
24165 @section Customization
24166 @cindex general customization
24168 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24169 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24170 for some quite common situations.
24173 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24174 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24175 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24176 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24180 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24181 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24183 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24184 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24185 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24189 @item gnus-read-active-file
24190 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24191 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24192 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24193 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24194 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24196 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24197 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24198 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24199 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24203 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24204 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24206 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24207 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24208 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24212 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24213 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24214 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24215 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24216 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24218 @item gnus-visible-headers
24219 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24220 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24221 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24222 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24224 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24226 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24227 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24228 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24231 @item gnus-use-full-window
24232 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24233 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24234 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24235 want to read them anyway.
24237 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24238 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24242 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24243 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24244 lines, which might save some time.
24248 @node Little Disk Space
24249 @subsection Little Disk Space
24252 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24253 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24257 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24258 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24259 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24260 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24263 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24264 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24265 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24266 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24269 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24270 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24271 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24272 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24273 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24279 @subsection Slow Machine
24280 @cindex slow machine
24282 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24283 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24285 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24286 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24288 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24289 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24290 summary buffer faster.
24294 @node Troubleshooting
24295 @section Troubleshooting
24296 @cindex troubleshooting
24298 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24306 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24309 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24310 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24314 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24315 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
24316 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
24317 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
24318 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24321 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24325 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24326 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24327 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24328 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24329 something like that.
24332 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24335 @cindex reporting bugs
24337 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24339 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24340 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24341 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24342 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24344 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24345 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24346 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24347 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24350 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24351 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24352 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24353 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24354 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24355 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24357 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24358 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24359 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24363 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24364 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24367 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24368 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24369 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24370 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24371 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24372 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24373 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24374 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24375 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24376 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24377 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24378 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24379 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24380 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24385 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24386 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24387 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-j} when things are
24388 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24389 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24390 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24391 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24392 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24393 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24394 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-packagre RET message}. Then perform
24395 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24396 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24397 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24398 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24399 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24400 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24401 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24402 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24404 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24405 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24407 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24408 @cindex ding mailing list
24409 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@email{ding@@gnus.org}.
24410 Write to @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24414 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24415 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24417 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24418 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24419 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24420 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24423 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24424 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24425 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24426 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24427 and general methods of operation.
24430 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24431 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24432 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24433 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24434 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24435 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24436 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24437 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24438 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24442 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24443 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24444 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24445 @cindex utility functions
24447 @cindex internal variables
24449 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24450 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24451 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24455 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24456 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24457 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24459 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24460 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24461 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24463 @item gnus-group-real-name
24464 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24465 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24468 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24469 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24470 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24471 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24473 @item gnus-get-info
24474 @findex gnus-get-info
24475 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24477 @item gnus-group-unread
24478 @findex gnus-group-unread
24479 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24483 @findex gnus-active
24484 The active entry for @var{group}.
24486 @item gnus-set-active
24487 @findex gnus-set-active
24488 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24490 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24491 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24492 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24495 @item gnus-continuum-version
24496 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24497 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24498 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24501 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24502 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24503 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24505 @item gnus-news-group-p
24506 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24507 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24509 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24510 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24511 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24513 @item gnus-server-to-method
24514 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24515 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24517 @item gnus-server-equal
24518 @findex gnus-server-equal
24519 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24521 @item gnus-group-native-p
24522 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24523 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24525 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24526 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24527 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24529 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24530 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24531 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24533 @item group-group-find-parameter
24534 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24535 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24536 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24538 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24539 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24540 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24542 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24543 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24544 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24546 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24547 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24548 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24549 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24552 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24556 @item gnus-read-method
24557 @findex gnus-read-method
24558 Prompts the user for a select method.
24563 @node Back End Interface
24564 @subsection Back End Interface
24566 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24567 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24568 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24569 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24570 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24571 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24573 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24574 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24575 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24576 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24577 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24578 been opened, the function should fail.
24580 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24581 name. Take this example:
24585 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24586 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24589 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24590 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24592 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24593 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24594 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24596 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24597 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24598 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24600 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24601 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24602 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24603 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24604 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24605 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24608 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24609 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24610 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24611 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24614 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24615 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24616 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24617 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24618 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24619 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24620 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24621 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24622 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24623 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24625 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24626 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24627 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24628 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24629 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24630 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24631 of numbers as long as possible.
24633 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
24634 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
24635 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
24637 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24640 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24643 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24644 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24645 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24646 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24647 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24648 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24652 @node Required Back End Functions
24653 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24657 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24659 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24660 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24661 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24662 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24664 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24665 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24666 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24667 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24669 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
24670 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24671 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24672 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24673 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24674 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24675 number, do maximum fetches.
24677 Here's an example HEAD:
24680 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24681 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24682 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24683 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24684 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24685 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24686 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24688 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24689 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24690 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24694 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24695 these in the data buffer.
24697 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24701 head = error / valid-head
24702 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24703 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24704 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24705 header = <text> eol
24708 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24709 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24713 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24714 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24715 field = <text except TAB>
24718 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24722 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24724 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24725 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24727 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24728 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24729 server. In fact, it should do so.
24731 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24732 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24735 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24737 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24738 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24741 There should be no data returned.
24744 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24746 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24747 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24748 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24749 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24751 There should be no data returned.
24754 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24756 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24757 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24758 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24759 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24761 There should be no data returned.
24764 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24766 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24768 There should be no data returned.
24771 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24773 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24774 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24775 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24776 it would be nice if that were possible.
24778 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24779 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24780 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24781 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24782 into its article buffer.
24784 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24785 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24786 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24787 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24788 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24789 on successful article retrieval.
24792 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24794 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24795 making @var{group} the current group.
24797 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24800 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24803 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24806 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24807 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24808 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24809 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24810 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24811 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24812 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24813 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24814 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24818 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24819 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24820 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24824 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24826 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24827 a no-op on most back ends.
24829 There should be no data returned.
24832 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24834 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24837 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24840 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24841 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24844 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24845 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24846 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24847 and the highest as 0.
24850 active-file = *active-line
24851 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24853 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24856 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24857 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24858 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24861 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24863 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24864 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24865 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24866 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24867 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24868 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24870 There should be no result data from this function.
24875 @node Optional Back End Functions
24876 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24880 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24882 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24883 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24884 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24886 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24887 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24888 former is in the same format as the data from
24889 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24890 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24893 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24897 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24899 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24900 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24901 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24902 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24903 should return a non-nil value.
24905 There should be no result data from this function.
24908 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24910 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24911 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24912 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24913 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24914 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24915 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24916 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24917 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24919 There should be no result data from this function.
24922 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24924 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24925 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24926 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24927 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24928 propagate the mark information to the server.
24930 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24933 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24936 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
24937 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
24938 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
24939 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
24940 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24941 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24942 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24943 possible, not limit itself to these.
24945 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24946 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24947 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24948 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24950 An example action list:
24953 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24954 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24955 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24958 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24959 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24961 There should be no result data from this function.
24963 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24965 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24966 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24967 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24968 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24969 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24971 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24972 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24973 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24976 There should be no result data from this function.
24979 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24981 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24982 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24983 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24984 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24985 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24986 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24987 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24989 There should be no result data from this function.
24992 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24994 The result data from this function should be a description of
24998 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
25000 description = <text>
25003 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
25005 The result data from this function should be the description of all
25006 groups available on the server.
25009 description-buffer = *description-line
25013 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
25015 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
25016 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
25017 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
25018 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
25019 in the active buffer format.
25021 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
25022 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
25023 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
25024 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
25025 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
25026 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
25027 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
25030 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25032 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
25034 There should be no return data.
25037 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
25039 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
25040 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
25041 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
25042 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
25043 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
25046 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
25049 There should be no result data returned.
25052 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
25054 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
25055 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
25057 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
25058 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
25059 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
25060 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
25061 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
25062 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
25064 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
25065 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
25068 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25069 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25071 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
25072 article for that group.
25074 There should be no data returned.
25077 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
25079 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
25080 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
25081 this function in short order.
25083 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25084 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25086 There should be no data returned.
25089 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
25091 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
25092 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
25094 There should be no data returned.
25097 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
25099 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
25100 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
25101 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25103 There should be no data returned.
25106 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25108 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25109 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25111 There should be no data returned.
25116 @node Error Messaging
25117 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25119 @findex nnheader-report
25120 @findex nnheader-get-report
25121 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25122 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25123 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25124 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25125 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25126 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25129 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25131 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25134 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25135 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25136 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25137 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25139 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25140 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25141 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25144 @node Writing New Back Ends
25145 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25147 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25148 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25149 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25150 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25151 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25154 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25155 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25156 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25158 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25159 package called @code{nnoo}.
25161 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25162 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25168 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25169 parameters. For instance:
25172 (nnoo-declare nndir
25176 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25177 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25180 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25181 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25182 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25184 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25185 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25186 a function in those back ends.
25189 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25190 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25191 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25194 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25195 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25196 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25198 @item nnoo-define-basics
25199 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25203 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25207 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25208 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25209 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25211 @item nnoo-map-functions
25212 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25213 functions from the parent back ends.
25216 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25217 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25218 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25221 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25222 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25223 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25224 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25227 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25228 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25229 haven't already been defined.
25235 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25239 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25240 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25241 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25246 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25249 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25250 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25254 (require 'nnheader)
25258 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25260 (nnoo-declare nndir
25263 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25264 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25265 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25267 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25268 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25271 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25273 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25274 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25275 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25277 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25278 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25280 ;;; Interface functions.
25282 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25284 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25285 (setq nndir-directory
25286 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25288 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25289 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25290 (push `(nndir-current-group
25291 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25292 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25294 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25295 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25297 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25299 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25300 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25301 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25302 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25303 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25307 nnmh-status-message
25309 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25315 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25316 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25318 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25319 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25320 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25321 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25322 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25324 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25325 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25330 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25333 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25335 The abilities can be:
25339 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25341 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25343 This back end supports both mail and news.
25345 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25348 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25349 articles and groups.
25351 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25352 true for almost all back ends.
25353 @item prompt-address
25354 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25355 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25356 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25360 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25361 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25363 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25364 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25365 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25366 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25369 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25370 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25371 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25374 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25375 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25378 This function takes four parameters.
25382 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25385 @item exit-function
25386 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25388 @item temp-directory
25389 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25392 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25393 performed for one group only.
25396 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25397 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25398 find the article number assigned to this article.
25400 The function also uses the following variables:
25401 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25402 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25403 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25404 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25408 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25409 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25413 @node Score File Syntax
25414 @subsection Score File Syntax
25416 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25417 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25418 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25420 Here's a typical score file:
25424 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25431 BNF definition of a score file:
25434 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25435 element = rule / atom
25436 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25437 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25438 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25439 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25441 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25442 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25443 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25444 date-header = "date"
25445 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25446 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25447 score = "nil" / <integer>
25448 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25449 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25450 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25451 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25452 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25453 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25454 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25455 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25456 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25457 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25458 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25459 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25460 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25461 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25462 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25463 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25464 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25465 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25466 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25467 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25468 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25469 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25470 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25471 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25472 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25473 eval = "eval" space <form>
25474 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25477 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25480 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25481 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25482 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25483 one looong line, then that's ok.
25485 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25486 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25490 @subsection Headers
25492 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25493 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25494 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25495 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25497 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25498 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25499 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25500 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25501 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25502 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25503 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25505 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25506 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25507 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25508 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25509 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25511 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25512 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25518 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25519 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25521 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25522 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25523 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25524 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25526 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25530 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25533 is transformed into
25536 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25539 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25540 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25543 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25546 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25547 is slightly tricky:
25550 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25556 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25559 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25565 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25572 and is equal to the previous range.
25574 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25575 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25576 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25580 range = simple-range / normal-range
25581 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25582 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25583 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25584 number *[ " " contents ]
25587 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25588 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25589 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25590 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25591 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25596 @subsection Group Info
25598 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25599 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25600 describes the group.
25602 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25603 second is a more complex one:
25606 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25608 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25609 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25611 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25614 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25615 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25616 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25617 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25618 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25619 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25620 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25621 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25622 this section is about.
25624 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25625 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25626 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25628 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25631 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25632 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25633 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25634 group = quote <string> quote
25635 ralevel = rank / level
25636 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25637 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25638 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25640 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25641 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25642 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25643 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25646 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25647 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25650 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25651 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25654 @item gnus-info-group
25655 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25656 @findex gnus-info-group
25657 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25658 Get/set the group name.
25660 @item gnus-info-rank
25661 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25662 @findex gnus-info-rank
25663 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25664 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25666 @item gnus-info-level
25667 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25668 @findex gnus-info-level
25669 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25670 Get/set the group level.
25672 @item gnus-info-score
25673 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25674 @findex gnus-info-score
25675 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25676 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25678 @item gnus-info-read
25679 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25680 @findex gnus-info-read
25681 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25682 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25684 @item gnus-info-marks
25685 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25686 @findex gnus-info-marks
25687 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25688 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25690 @item gnus-info-method
25691 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25692 @findex gnus-info-method
25693 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25694 Get/set the group select method.
25696 @item gnus-info-params
25697 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25698 @findex gnus-info-params
25699 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25700 Get/set the group parameters.
25703 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25704 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25706 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25707 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25708 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25709 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25712 @node Extended Interactive
25713 @subsection Extended Interactive
25714 @cindex interactive
25715 @findex gnus-interactive
25717 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25718 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25719 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25722 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25723 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25728 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25729 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25730 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25731 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25732 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25733 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25734 @code{interactive}.
25736 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25741 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25742 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25746 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25747 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25748 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25751 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25755 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25759 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25765 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25766 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25770 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25771 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25772 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25774 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25775 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25776 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25777 Gnus, that's very useful.
25779 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25780 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25781 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25782 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25783 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25784 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25785 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25786 following function:
25789 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25793 (,function ,@@args))
25797 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25798 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25799 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25802 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25803 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25804 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25806 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25807 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25808 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25811 @node Various File Formats
25812 @subsection Various File Formats
25815 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25816 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25820 @node Active File Format
25821 @subsubsection Active File Format
25823 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25824 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25827 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25830 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25831 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25832 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25833 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25834 no.general 1000 900 y
25837 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25840 active = *group-line
25841 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25842 group = <non-white-space string>
25844 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25845 low-number = <positive integer>
25846 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25849 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25850 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25853 @node Newsgroups File Format
25854 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25856 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25857 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25858 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25861 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25862 Here's the definition:
25866 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25867 group = <non-white-space string>
25869 description = <string>
25874 @node Emacs for Heathens
25875 @section Emacs for Heathens
25877 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25878 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25879 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25880 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25881 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25882 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25883 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25887 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25888 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25893 @subsection Keystrokes
25897 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25900 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25903 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25904 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25905 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25906 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25907 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25908 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25910 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25911 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25912 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25913 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25914 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25915 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25916 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25918 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25919 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25920 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25921 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25922 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25923 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25924 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25926 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25927 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25928 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25929 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25930 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25936 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25938 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25939 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25940 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25941 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25943 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25944 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25945 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25946 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25947 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25948 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25949 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25952 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25953 write the following:
25956 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25959 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25960 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25961 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25964 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
25965 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25966 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25967 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25968 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25970 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25971 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25972 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25976 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25980 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25983 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25984 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25987 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25990 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25991 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25994 @include gnus-faq.texi
26014 @c Local Variables:
26016 @c coding: iso-8859-1
26018 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
26019 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
26020 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
26021 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
26022 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref