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4 @settitle Semi-gnus 6.10.056 Manual
9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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264 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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273 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
275 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
276 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
277 are preserved on all copies.
279 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
280 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
281 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
282 permission notice identical to this one.
284 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
285 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
294 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
296 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
299 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
300 are preserved on all copies.
303 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
304 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
305 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
306 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
309 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
310 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
311 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
312 permission notice identical to this one.
314 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
315 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
321 @title Semi-gnus 6.10.056 Manual
323 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
326 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
327 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
329 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
330 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
331 are preserved on all copies.
333 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
334 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
335 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
336 permission notice identical to this one.
338 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
339 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
348 @top The gnus Newsreader
352 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
353 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
354 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
357 Semi-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So Semi-gnus
358 supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
359 other various kinds of formats. Semi-gnus also supports
360 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
361 API. So Semi-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
362 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
364 This manual corresponds to Semi-gnus 6.10.056.
375 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
376 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
378 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
379 being accused of plagiarism:
381 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
382 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
383 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
384 even read news with it!
386 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
387 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
388 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
389 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
390 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
407 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
408 * Key Index:: Key Index.
412 @chapter Starting gnus
417 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
418 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
421 @findex gnus-other-frame
422 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
423 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
424 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
426 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
427 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
428 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
430 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
431 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
434 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
435 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
436 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
437 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
438 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
439 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
440 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
441 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
442 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
443 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
444 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
448 @node Finding the News
449 @section Finding the News
452 @vindex gnus-select-method
454 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
455 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
456 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
457 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
460 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
461 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
464 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
467 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
470 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
473 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
474 certainly be much faster.
476 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
478 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
479 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
480 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
481 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
482 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
483 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
485 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
486 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
487 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
488 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
490 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
491 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
492 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
493 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
494 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
495 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
496 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
497 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
498 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
501 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
503 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
504 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
505 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
506 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
507 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
508 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
510 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
512 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
513 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
514 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
515 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
516 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
517 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
520 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
521 would typically set this variable to
524 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
529 @section The First Time
530 @cindex first time usage
532 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
533 be subscribed by default.
535 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
536 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
537 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
538 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
541 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
542 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
543 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
545 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
546 help you with most common problems.
548 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
549 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
553 @node The Server is Down
554 @section The Server is Down
555 @cindex server errors
557 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
558 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
559 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
561 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
562 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
563 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
564 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
565 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
566 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
567 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
569 @findex gnus-no-server
570 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
572 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
573 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
574 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
575 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
576 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
577 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
582 @section Slave Gnusae
585 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
586 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
587 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
588 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
590 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
593 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
594 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
595 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
596 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
597 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
598 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
599 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
601 Anyways, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
602 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
603 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
604 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
605 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
606 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
607 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
608 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
610 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
611 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
614 @node Fetching a Group
615 @section Fetching a Group
616 @cindex fetching a group
618 @findex gnus-fetch-group
619 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
620 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
621 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
622 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
623 It takes the group name as a parameter.
631 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
632 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
633 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
634 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
635 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
636 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
637 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
638 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
639 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
642 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
643 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
644 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
648 @node Checking New Groups
649 @subsection Checking New Groups
651 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
652 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
653 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
654 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
655 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
656 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
657 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
658 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
659 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
660 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
662 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
663 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
664 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
665 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
666 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
667 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
668 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
669 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
670 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
671 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
672 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
674 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
675 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
676 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
677 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
678 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
679 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
682 @node Subscription Methods
683 @subsection Subscription Methods
685 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
686 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
687 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
689 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
690 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
692 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
696 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
697 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
698 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
699 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
700 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
702 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
703 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
704 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
705 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
707 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
708 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
709 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
711 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
712 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
713 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
714 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
715 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
716 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
717 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
718 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
719 up. Or something like that.
721 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
722 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
723 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
724 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
725 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
727 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
728 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
733 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
734 A closely related variable is
735 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
736 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
737 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
738 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
741 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
742 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
743 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
744 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
747 @node Filtering New Groups
748 @subsection Filtering New Groups
750 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
751 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
752 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
755 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
758 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
759 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
760 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
761 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
762 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
763 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
764 subscribing these groups.
765 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
766 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
768 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
769 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
770 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
771 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
772 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
773 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
774 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
775 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
777 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
778 Yet another variable that meddles here is
779 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
780 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
781 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
782 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
783 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
784 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
785 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
786 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
788 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
789 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
792 @node Changing Servers
793 @section Changing Servers
794 @cindex changing servers
796 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
797 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
798 very flaky and you want to use another.
800 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
801 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
805 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
806 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
807 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
808 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
811 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
812 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
813 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
814 functions more than absolutely necessary.
816 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
817 @findex gnus-change-server
818 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
819 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
820 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
821 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
822 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
824 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
825 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
826 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
827 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
828 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
830 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
831 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
832 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
833 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
834 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
835 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
837 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
838 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
839 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
843 @section Startup Files
844 @cindex startup files
849 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
850 information is traditionally stored in this file.
852 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{GNUS}. In addition to
853 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
854 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
855 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
856 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{GNUS} would read whichever one of these
857 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
858 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
860 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
861 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
862 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
863 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
864 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
865 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
867 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
868 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
869 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
870 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
871 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
872 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
874 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
875 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
876 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
877 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
878 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
879 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
880 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
881 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
882 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
883 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
884 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
885 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
887 @vindex gnus-startup-file
888 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
889 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
890 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
892 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
893 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
894 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
895 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
896 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
897 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
898 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
899 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
900 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
901 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
904 (defun turn-off-backup ()
905 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
907 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
908 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
911 @vindex gnus-init-file
912 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
913 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
914 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
915 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
916 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
917 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
918 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
919 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
920 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
929 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
930 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
931 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
932 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
933 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
936 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
937 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
940 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
941 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
942 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
944 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
945 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
946 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
947 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
948 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
949 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
951 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
952 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
953 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
956 @node The Active File
957 @section The Active File
959 @cindex ignored groups
961 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
962 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
963 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
965 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
966 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
967 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
968 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
969 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
970 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
971 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
974 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
975 @c if you set it to anything else.
977 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
979 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
980 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
981 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
983 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
984 you actually subscribe to.
986 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
987 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
988 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
989 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
991 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
992 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
993 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
994 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
995 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
996 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
998 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
999 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1000 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1001 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1002 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1003 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1005 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1006 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1008 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1009 secondary select methods.
1012 @node Startup Variables
1013 @section Startup Variables
1017 @item gnus-load-hook
1018 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1019 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1020 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1021 times you start gnus.
1023 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1024 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1025 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1027 @item gnus-startup-hook
1028 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1029 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1031 @item gnus-started-hook
1032 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1033 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1036 @item gnus-started-hook
1037 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1038 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1039 generating the group buffer.
1041 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1042 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1043 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1044 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1045 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1046 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1047 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1048 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1050 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1051 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1052 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1053 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1054 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1055 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1057 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1058 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1059 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1061 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1062 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1063 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1065 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1066 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1067 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1068 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1073 @node The Group Buffer
1074 @chapter The Group Buffer
1075 @cindex group buffer
1077 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1078 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1079 long as gnus is active.
1083 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1084 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1085 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1086 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1087 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1088 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1089 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1090 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1096 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1097 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1098 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1099 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1100 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1101 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1102 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1103 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1104 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1105 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1106 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1107 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1108 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1109 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1110 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1111 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1112 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1116 @node Group Buffer Format
1117 @section Group Buffer Format
1120 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1121 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1122 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1126 @node Group Line Specification
1127 @subsection Group Line Specification
1128 @cindex group buffer format
1130 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1131 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1133 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1136 25: news.announce.newusers
1137 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1142 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1143 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1144 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1145 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1147 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1148 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1149 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1150 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1151 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1152 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1154 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1156 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1157 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1158 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1159 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1162 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1163 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1164 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1166 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1171 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1174 Whether the group is subscribed.
1177 Level of subscribedness.
1180 Number of unread articles.
1183 Number of dormant articles.
1186 Number of ticked articles.
1189 Number of read articles.
1192 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1193 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1196 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1199 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1208 Newsgroup description.
1211 @samp{m} if moderated.
1214 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1223 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1227 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1230 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1231 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1232 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1233 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1234 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1237 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1239 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1243 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1247 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1248 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1249 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1250 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1251 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1252 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1257 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1258 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1259 group, or a bogus native group.
1262 @node Group Modeline Specification
1263 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1264 @cindex group modeline
1266 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1267 The mode line can be changed by setting
1268 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1269 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1273 The native news server.
1275 The native select method.
1279 @node Group Highlighting
1280 @subsection Group Highlighting
1281 @cindex highlighting
1282 @cindex group highlighting
1284 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1285 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1286 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1287 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1288 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1290 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1294 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1
1295 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
1296 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2
1297 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
1298 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3
1299 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
1300 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4
1301 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
1302 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5
1303 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
1305 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1306 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1307 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1308 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1309 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1310 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1313 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1315 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1322 The number of unread articles in the group.
1326 Whether the group is a mail group.
1328 The level of the group.
1330 The score of the group.
1332 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1334 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1335 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1337 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1338 topic being inserted.
1341 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1342 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1343 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1345 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1346 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1347 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1348 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1349 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1352 @node Group Maneuvering
1353 @section Group Maneuvering
1354 @cindex group movement
1356 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1357 expected, hopefully.
1363 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1364 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1365 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1371 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1372 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1373 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1377 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1378 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1382 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1383 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1387 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1388 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1389 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1393 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1394 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1395 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1398 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1404 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1405 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1406 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1411 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1412 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1413 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1417 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1418 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1419 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1422 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1423 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1424 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1425 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1429 @node Selecting a Group
1430 @section Selecting a Group
1431 @cindex group selection
1436 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1437 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1438 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1439 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1440 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1441 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1442 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1443 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1444 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1445 negative, gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1449 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1450 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1451 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1452 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1453 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1457 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1458 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1459 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1460 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1461 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1462 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1463 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1464 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1465 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1466 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1469 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1470 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1471 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1472 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1473 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1476 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1477 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1478 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1479 doing any processing of its contents
1480 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1481 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1482 manner will have no permanent effects.
1486 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1487 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
1488 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1489 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
1490 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1491 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1492 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1493 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1496 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1497 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1498 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1499 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1504 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1505 full summary buffer.
1508 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1511 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1516 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
1517 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
1518 Useful functions include:
1521 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
1522 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
1523 don't select the article.
1525 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
1526 Select the first unread article.
1528 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
1529 Select the highest-scored unread article.
1533 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1534 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1535 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1539 @node Subscription Commands
1540 @section Subscription Commands
1541 @cindex subscription
1549 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1550 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1551 Toggle subscription to the current group
1552 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1558 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1559 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1560 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1561 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1567 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1568 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1569 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1575 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1576 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1579 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1580 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1581 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1582 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1583 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1589 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1590 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1594 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1595 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1598 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1599 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1600 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1601 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1602 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1603 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1604 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1605 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1606 @file{.newsrc} file.
1610 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1620 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1621 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1622 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1623 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1624 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1625 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1630 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1631 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1632 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1636 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1637 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1638 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1640 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1641 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1642 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1643 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1644 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1645 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1652 @section Group Levels
1656 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1657 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1658 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1659 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1660 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1662 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1668 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1669 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1670 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1671 prompted for a level.
1674 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1675 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1676 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1677 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1678 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1679 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1680 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1681 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1682 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1683 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1684 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1685 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1686 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1687 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1688 reasons of efficiency.
1690 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1691 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1693 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1694 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1695 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1697 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1698 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1699 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1700 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1701 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1702 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1703 relevant valid ranges.
1705 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1706 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1707 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1708 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1709 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1710 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1713 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1714 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1715 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1718 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1719 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1720 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1721 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1724 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1725 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1726 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1727 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1729 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1730 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
1731 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
1732 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
1733 to 5. The default is 6.
1737 @section Group Score
1742 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1743 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1744 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1747 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1748 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1749 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1750 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1751 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1752 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1753 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1755 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1756 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1757 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1758 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1759 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1760 action after each summary exit, you can add
1761 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1762 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1763 slow things down somewhat.
1766 @node Marking Groups
1767 @section Marking Groups
1768 @cindex marking groups
1770 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1771 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1772 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1773 bidding on those groups.
1775 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1776 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1777 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1785 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1786 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1792 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1793 Remove the mark from the current group
1794 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1798 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1799 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1803 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1804 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1808 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1809 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1813 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1814 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1815 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1818 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1820 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1821 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1822 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1823 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1824 the command to be executed.
1827 @node Foreign Groups
1828 @section Foreign Groups
1829 @cindex foreign groups
1831 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1832 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1833 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1834 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1841 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1842 @cindex making groups
1843 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1844 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1845 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1849 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1850 @cindex renaming groups
1851 Rename the current group to something else
1852 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1853 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1859 @findex gnus-group-customize
1860 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1864 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1865 @cindex renaming groups
1866 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1867 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1871 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1872 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1873 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1877 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1878 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1879 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1883 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1885 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1886 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1891 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1892 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1896 @cindex (ding) archive
1897 @cindex archive group
1898 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1899 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1900 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1901 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1902 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1903 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1904 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1908 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1910 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1911 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1912 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1913 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1917 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1919 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1920 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1921 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1925 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1926 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1928 Make a group based on some file or other
1929 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1930 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1931 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1932 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1933 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1934 this command without a prefix, gnus will guess at the file type.
1935 @xref{Document Groups}.
1939 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
1940 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
1941 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
1942 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
1946 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1951 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1952 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1953 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1954 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1955 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1956 @xref{Web Searches}.
1958 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
1959 to a particular group by using a match string like
1960 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
1963 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1964 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1965 This function will delete the current group
1966 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1967 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1968 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1969 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
1970 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
1974 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1975 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1976 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1980 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1981 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1982 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1985 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1988 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1989 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1990 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1991 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1992 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
1993 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
1997 @node Group Parameters
1998 @section Group Parameters
1999 @cindex group parameters
2001 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2002 Here's an example group parameter list:
2005 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2009 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2010 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2011 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2012 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2014 The following group parameters can be used:
2019 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2022 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2025 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2026 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2027 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2028 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2029 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2031 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2032 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2033 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2034 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2035 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2036 list address instead.
2040 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
2043 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2046 It is totally ignored
2047 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2048 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2050 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2051 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2052 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2053 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2054 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2056 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2057 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2058 sending the message.
2062 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2063 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2064 of whether it has any unread articles.
2066 @item broken-reply-to
2067 @cindex broken-reply-to
2068 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2069 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2070 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2071 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2072 broken behavior. So there!
2076 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2077 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2081 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2082 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2083 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2088 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2089 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2090 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2091 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2092 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2093 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2094 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2098 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2099 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2100 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2103 @cindex total-expire
2104 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2105 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2106 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2107 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2112 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2113 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2114 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2115 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2116 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2117 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2120 @cindex score file group parameter
2121 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2122 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2123 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2126 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2127 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2128 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2129 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2132 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2133 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2134 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2135 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2138 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2139 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2143 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2146 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2151 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2152 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2153 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2157 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2158 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2159 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2161 @item @var{(variable form)}
2162 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2163 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2164 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2165 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2166 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2167 @code{eval}ed there.
2169 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2170 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2171 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2172 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2173 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2176 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2177 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2178 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2179 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2180 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2182 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2183 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2184 like this in the group parameters:
2189 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2194 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2195 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2199 @node Listing Groups
2200 @section Listing Groups
2201 @cindex group listing
2203 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2211 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2212 List all groups that have unread articles
2213 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2214 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2215 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2216 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2223 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2224 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2225 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2226 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2227 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2228 unsubscribed groups).
2232 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2233 List all unread groups on a specific level
2234 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2235 with no unread articles.
2239 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2240 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2241 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2242 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2247 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2248 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2252 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2253 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2254 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2258 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2259 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2263 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2264 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2265 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2266 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2267 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2268 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2269 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2270 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2274 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2275 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2276 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2280 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2281 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2282 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2286 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2287 @cindex visible group parameter
2288 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2289 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2290 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2291 get the same effect.
2293 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2294 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2295 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2296 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2297 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2300 @node Sorting Groups
2301 @section Sorting Groups
2302 @cindex sorting groups
2304 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2305 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2306 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2307 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2308 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2309 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2314 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2315 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2316 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2318 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2319 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2320 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2322 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2323 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2324 Sort by group level.
2326 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2327 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2328 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2330 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2331 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2332 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2333 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2335 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2336 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2337 Sort by number of unread articles.
2339 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2340 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2341 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2346 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2347 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2351 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2352 some sorting criteria:
2356 @kindex G S a (Group)
2357 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2358 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2359 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2362 @kindex G S u (Group)
2363 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2364 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2365 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2368 @kindex G S l (Group)
2369 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2370 Sort the group buffer by group level
2371 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2374 @kindex G S v (Group)
2375 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2376 Sort the group buffer by group score
2377 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2380 @kindex G S r (Group)
2381 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2382 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2383 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2386 @kindex G S m (Group)
2387 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2388 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2389 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2393 All the commands below obeys the process/prefix convention
2394 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2396 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2397 commands will sort in reverse order.
2399 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2403 @kindex G P a (Group)
2404 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2405 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2406 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2409 @kindex G P u (Group)
2410 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2411 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2412 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2415 @kindex G P l (Group)
2416 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2417 Sort the groups by group level
2418 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2421 @kindex G P v (Group)
2422 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2423 Sort the groups by group score
2424 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2427 @kindex G P r (Group)
2428 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2429 Sort the groups by group rank
2430 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2433 @kindex G P m (Group)
2434 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2435 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2436 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2442 @node Group Maintenance
2443 @section Group Maintenance
2444 @cindex bogus groups
2449 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2450 Find bogus groups and delete them
2451 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2455 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2456 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2457 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2458 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2459 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2463 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2464 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2465 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2466 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2469 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2470 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2471 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2472 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2477 @node Browse Foreign Server
2478 @section Browse Foreign Server
2479 @cindex foreign servers
2480 @cindex browsing servers
2485 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2486 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2487 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2488 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2491 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2492 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2493 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2494 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2496 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2501 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2502 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2507 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2510 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2511 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2512 Enter the current group and display the first article
2513 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2516 @kindex RET (Browse)
2517 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2518 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2522 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2523 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2524 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2530 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2531 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2535 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2536 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2537 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2542 @section Exiting gnus
2543 @cindex exiting gnus
2545 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
2550 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2551 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
2552 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2553 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2557 @findex gnus-group-exit
2558 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2559 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2563 @findex gnus-group-quit
2564 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2565 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2568 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2569 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2570 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
2571 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
2572 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2577 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2578 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2579 trying to customize meta-variables.
2584 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2585 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2586 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2592 @section Group Topics
2595 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2596 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2597 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2598 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2599 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2600 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2604 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2605 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2616 2: alt.religion.emacs
2619 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2621 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2622 13: comp.sources.unix
2625 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2627 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2628 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2629 is a toggling command.)
2631 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2632 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2633 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2634 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2637 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2638 the hook for the group mode:
2641 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2645 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2646 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2647 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2648 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2649 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2653 @node Topic Variables
2654 @subsection Topic Variables
2655 @cindex topic variables
2657 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2658 really neat, I think.
2660 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2661 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2662 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2675 Number of groups in the topic.
2677 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2679 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2682 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2683 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2684 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2687 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2688 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2690 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2691 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2692 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2695 @node Topic Commands
2696 @subsection Topic Commands
2697 @cindex topic commands
2699 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2700 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2701 definitions slightly.
2707 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2708 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2709 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2713 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2714 Move the current group to some other topic
2715 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2716 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2720 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2721 Copy the current group to some other topic
2722 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2723 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2727 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2728 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2729 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
2730 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
2731 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
2732 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
2733 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
2736 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2737 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2741 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2742 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2743 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2747 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2748 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2749 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2753 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2754 Toggle hiding empty topics
2755 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2759 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2760 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2761 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2764 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2765 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2766 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2767 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2771 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2773 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2774 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2775 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2776 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2779 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
2780 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
2781 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2782 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
2786 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2788 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2789 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2790 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2791 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2792 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2793 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2796 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
2797 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
2798 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
2799 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
2803 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2804 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2805 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2809 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2810 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2811 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2816 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2817 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2820 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2821 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2822 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2826 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2827 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2828 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2832 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2833 @cindex group parameters
2834 @cindex topic parameters
2836 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2837 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2843 @subsection Topic Sorting
2844 @cindex topic sorting
2846 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2852 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2853 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2854 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2855 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2858 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2859 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2860 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2861 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2864 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2865 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2866 Sort the current topic by group level
2867 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2870 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2871 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2872 Sort the current topic by group score
2873 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2876 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2877 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2878 Sort the current topic by group rank
2879 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2882 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2883 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2884 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2885 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2889 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2892 @node Topic Topology
2893 @subsection Topic Topology
2894 @cindex topic topology
2897 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2903 2: alt.religion.emacs
2906 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2908 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2909 13: comp.sources.unix
2912 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2913 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2914 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2919 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2920 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2924 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2925 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2926 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2927 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2928 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2929 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2931 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2932 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2933 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2936 @node Topic Parameters
2937 @subsection Topic Parameters
2938 @cindex topic parameters
2940 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2941 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2942 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2944 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2945 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2946 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2947 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2953 2: alt.religion.emacs
2957 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2959 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2960 13: comp.sources.unix
2964 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2965 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2966 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2967 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2968 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2969 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2971 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2972 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2973 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2974 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2975 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2977 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2978 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2979 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2980 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2981 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2982 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2983 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2984 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2987 @node Misc Group Stuff
2988 @section Misc Group Stuff
2991 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2992 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
2993 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2994 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3001 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3002 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3003 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3007 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3008 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3009 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3013 @findex gnus-group-mail
3014 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3018 Variables for the group buffer:
3022 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3023 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3024 is called after the group buffer has been
3027 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3028 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3029 is called after the group buffer is
3030 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3033 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3034 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3035 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3036 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3038 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3039 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3040 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3041 whether they are empty or not.
3046 @node Scanning New Messages
3047 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3048 @cindex new messages
3049 @cindex scanning new news
3055 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3056 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3057 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3058 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3059 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3060 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3065 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3066 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3067 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3068 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3069 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3070 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3071 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3073 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3074 @cindex activating groups
3076 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3077 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3082 @findex gnus-group-restart
3083 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3084 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3085 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3089 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3090 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3092 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3093 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3097 @node Group Information
3098 @subsection Group Information
3099 @cindex group information
3100 @cindex information on groups
3107 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3108 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3111 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3112 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3113 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3114 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3115 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3116 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3117 for fetching the file.
3119 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3120 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3124 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3126 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3127 @cindex describing groups
3128 @cindex group description
3129 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3130 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3131 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3135 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3136 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3137 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3144 @findex gnus-version
3145 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3149 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3150 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3153 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3156 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3157 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3161 @node Group Timestamp
3162 @subsection Group Timestamp
3164 @cindex group timestamps
3166 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3167 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3168 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3171 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3174 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3176 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3177 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3180 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3181 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3184 This will result in lines looking like:
3187 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3188 0: custom 19961002T012713
3191 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3192 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3196 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3197 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3202 @subsection File Commands
3203 @cindex file commands
3209 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3210 @vindex gnus-init-file
3211 @cindex reading init file
3212 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3213 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3217 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3218 @cindex saving .newsrc
3219 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3220 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3221 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3224 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3225 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3226 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3231 @node The Summary Buffer
3232 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3233 @cindex summary buffer
3235 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3236 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3238 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3239 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3241 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3244 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3245 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3246 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3247 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3248 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3249 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3250 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3251 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3252 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3253 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3254 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3255 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3256 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3257 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3258 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3259 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3260 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3261 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3262 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3263 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3264 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3265 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3266 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3267 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3268 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3269 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3270 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3271 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3275 @node Summary Buffer Format
3276 @section Summary Buffer Format
3277 @cindex summary buffer format
3281 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3282 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3283 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3289 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3290 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3291 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3292 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3295 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3296 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3297 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3298 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3299 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3300 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3301 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3302 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3303 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3304 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3305 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3306 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3307 other function instead:
3310 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3311 'mail-extract-address-components)
3314 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3315 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3316 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3317 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3320 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3321 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3323 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3324 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3325 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3326 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3327 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3329 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3331 The following format specification characters are understood:
3339 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3340 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3341 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3343 Full @code{From} header.
3345 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3347 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3348 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3350 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3351 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3352 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3353 may be more thorough.
3355 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3358 Number of lines in the article.
3360 Number of characters in the article.
3362 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3364 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3365 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3367 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3368 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3370 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3371 for adopted articles.
3373 One space for each thread level.
3375 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3380 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3381 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3385 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3387 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3388 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3389 default level. If the difference between
3390 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3391 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3399 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3401 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3407 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3408 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3410 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3411 article has any children.
3417 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3418 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3419 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3420 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3421 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3422 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3425 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3426 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
3427 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3428 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3429 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3430 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3432 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3433 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3435 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
3438 @node To From Newsgroups
3439 @subsection To From Newsgroups
3443 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
3444 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
3445 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
3446 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
3447 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
3451 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
3452 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
3453 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
3457 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3458 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
3461 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
3462 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
3465 @findex gnus-extra-header
3466 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
3467 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
3468 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
3471 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
3475 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3476 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
3477 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
3478 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
3479 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
3480 headers are used instead.
3484 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
3485 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
3486 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
3487 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
3490 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3491 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
3492 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
3493 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
3495 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
3498 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3500 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
3501 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
3502 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
3503 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3507 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
3508 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
3515 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
3516 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
3519 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3520 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3522 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3523 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
3524 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
3525 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3527 Here are the elements you can play with:
3533 Unprefixed group name.
3535 Current article number.
3537 Current article score.
3541 Number of unread articles in this group.
3543 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
3546 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3547 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3548 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3549 and no unselected ones.
3551 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3552 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3554 Subject of the current article.
3556 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
3558 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
3560 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3562 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3564 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3566 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3570 @node Summary Highlighting
3571 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3575 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3576 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3577 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3578 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3579 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3581 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3582 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3583 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3584 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3586 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3587 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3588 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3589 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3591 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3592 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3593 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3594 list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3595 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3596 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3598 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3599 ((> score default) . bold))
3601 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3602 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3606 @node Summary Maneuvering
3607 @section Summary Maneuvering
3608 @cindex summary movement
3610 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3611 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3613 None of these commands select articles.
3618 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3619 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3620 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3621 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3622 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3626 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3627 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3628 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3629 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3630 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3635 @kindex G j (Summary)
3636 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3637 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
3638 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3641 @kindex G g (Summary)
3642 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3643 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3644 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3647 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3648 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3649 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3650 to the group buffer.
3652 Variables related to summary movement:
3656 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3657 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3658 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3659 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
3660 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3661 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3662 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
3663 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3664 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
3665 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3666 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3667 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3668 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3669 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3671 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3672 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3673 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3674 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3675 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3676 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
3677 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
3679 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3681 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3682 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3683 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3684 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3685 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3687 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3688 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3689 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3690 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3691 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3692 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3693 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3694 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3697 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
3698 the given number of lines from the top.
3703 @node Choosing Articles
3704 @section Choosing Articles
3705 @cindex selecting articles
3708 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3709 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3713 @node Choosing Commands
3714 @subsection Choosing Commands
3716 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3717 and they all select and display an article.
3721 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3722 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3723 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3724 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3729 @kindex G n (Summary)
3730 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3731 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3732 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3737 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3738 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3739 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3744 @kindex G N (Summary)
3745 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3746 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3751 @kindex G P (Summary)
3752 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3753 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3756 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3757 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3758 Go to the next article with the same subject
3759 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3762 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3763 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3764 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3765 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3769 @kindex G f (Summary)
3771 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3772 Go to the first unread article
3773 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3777 @kindex G b (Summary)
3779 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3780 Go to the article with the highest score
3781 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3786 @kindex G l (Summary)
3787 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3788 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3791 @kindex G o (Summary)
3792 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3794 @cindex article history
3795 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3796 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3797 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3798 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
3799 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
3800 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
3804 @node Choosing Variables
3805 @subsection Choosing Variables
3807 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3810 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3811 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3812 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3813 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3814 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3815 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3817 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3818 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3819 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3820 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3822 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3823 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3824 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3825 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3826 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3827 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3828 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3829 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3830 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3831 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3832 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3833 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3834 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3835 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3840 @node Paging the Article
3841 @section Scrolling the Article
3842 @cindex article scrolling
3847 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3848 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3849 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3850 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3851 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3854 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3855 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3856 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3859 @kindex RET (Summary)
3860 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3861 Scroll the current article one line forward
3862 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3865 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
3866 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
3867 Scroll the current article one line backward
3868 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
3872 @kindex A g (Summary)
3874 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3875 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3876 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3877 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3878 the way it came from the server.
3883 @kindex A < (Summary)
3884 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3885 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3886 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3891 @kindex A > (Summary)
3892 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3893 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3897 @kindex A s (Summary)
3899 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3900 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3901 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3905 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
3906 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
3911 @node Reply Followup and Post
3912 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3915 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3916 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3920 @node Summary Mail Commands
3921 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3923 @cindex composing mail
3925 Commands for composing a mail message:
3931 @kindex S r (Summary)
3933 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3934 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3935 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3936 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3937 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3942 @kindex S R (Summary)
3943 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3944 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3945 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3946 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3947 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3950 @kindex S w (Summary)
3951 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3952 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3953 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3954 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3955 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3958 @kindex S W (Summary)
3959 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3960 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3961 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3962 the process/prefix convention.
3965 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3966 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3967 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
3968 Forward the current article to some other person
3969 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3970 headers of the forwarded article.
3975 @kindex S m (Summary)
3976 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3977 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
3978 Send a mail to some other person
3979 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3982 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3983 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3984 @cindex bouncing mail
3985 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3986 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3987 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3988 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3989 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3990 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
3991 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3992 very well fail, though.
3995 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3996 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3997 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3998 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3999 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4000 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4001 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4002 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4003 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4004 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4006 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4007 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4008 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4009 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4010 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung mu
\e(I_
\e(B sein!
4012 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4013 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4016 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4017 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4018 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4019 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4020 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4023 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4024 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4025 @cindex crossposting
4026 @cindex excessive crossposting
4027 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4028 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4030 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4031 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4032 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4033 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4034 command understands the process/prefix convention
4035 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4039 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4042 @node Summary Post Commands
4043 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4045 @cindex composing news
4047 Commands for posting a news article:
4053 @kindex S p (Summary)
4054 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4055 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4056 Post an article to the current group
4057 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4062 @kindex S f (Summary)
4063 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4064 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4065 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4069 @kindex S F (Summary)
4071 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4072 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4073 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4074 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4075 process/prefix convention.
4078 @kindex S n (Summary)
4079 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4080 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4081 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4084 @kindex S N (Summary)
4085 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4086 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4087 message through mail and include the original message
4088 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4089 the process/prefix convention.
4092 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4093 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4094 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4095 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4096 headers of the forwarded article.
4099 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4100 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4102 @cindex making digests
4103 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4104 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4105 process/prefix convention.
4108 @kindex S u (Summary)
4109 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4110 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4111 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4112 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4115 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4118 @node Canceling and Superseding
4119 @section Canceling Articles
4120 @cindex canceling articles
4121 @cindex superseding articles
4123 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4124 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4126 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4128 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4130 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4131 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4132 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4133 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4134 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4135 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4137 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4138 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4141 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4142 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4143 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4145 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4146 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4147 your original article.
4149 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4151 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4152 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4153 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4156 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4157 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4158 have posted almost the same article twice.
4160 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4161 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4162 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4163 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4164 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4165 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4166 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4167 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4168 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4169 canceled/superseded.
4171 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4174 @node Marking Articles
4175 @section Marking Articles
4176 @cindex article marking
4177 @cindex article ticking
4180 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4182 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4183 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4184 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4186 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4189 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4190 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4191 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4195 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4199 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4200 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4204 @node Unread Articles
4205 @subsection Unread Articles
4207 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4212 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4213 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4215 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4216 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4217 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4218 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4219 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4223 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4224 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4226 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4227 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4228 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4231 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4232 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4234 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4239 @subsection Read Articles
4240 @cindex expirable mark
4242 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4247 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4248 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4249 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4252 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4253 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4256 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4257 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4258 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4261 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4262 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4265 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4266 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4269 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4270 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4273 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4274 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4277 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4278 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4281 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4282 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4285 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4286 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4290 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4291 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4292 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4296 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4297 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4299 One more special mark, though:
4303 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4304 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4306 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4307 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4308 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4309 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
4315 @subsection Other Marks
4316 @cindex process mark
4319 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4325 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4326 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4327 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4328 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4329 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4332 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4333 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4334 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4335 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4338 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4339 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4340 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4343 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4344 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4345 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4346 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4349 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4350 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4351 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4352 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4353 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4356 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4357 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4358 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4359 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4360 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4361 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4365 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4366 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4367 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4369 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4370 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4371 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4375 @subsection Setting Marks
4376 @cindex setting marks
4378 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4383 @kindex M c (Summary)
4384 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4385 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4386 @cindex mark as unread
4387 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4388 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4394 @kindex M t (Summary)
4395 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4396 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4397 @xref{Article Caching}.
4402 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4403 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4404 Mark the current article as dormant
4405 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4409 @kindex M d (Summary)
4411 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4412 Mark the current article as read
4413 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4417 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4418 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4419 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4424 @kindex M k (Summary)
4425 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4426 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4427 and then select the next unread article
4428 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4432 @kindex M K (Summary)
4433 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4434 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4435 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4436 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4439 @kindex M C (Summary)
4440 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4441 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4442 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4445 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4446 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4447 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4448 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4451 @kindex M H (Summary)
4452 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4453 Catchup the current group to point
4454 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4457 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4458 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4459 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4460 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4463 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4464 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4465 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4466 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4470 @kindex M e (Summary)
4472 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4473 Mark the current article as expirable
4474 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4477 @kindex M b (Summary)
4478 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4479 Set a bookmark in the current article
4480 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4483 @kindex M B (Summary)
4484 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4485 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4486 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4489 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4490 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4491 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4492 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4495 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4496 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4497 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4498 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4501 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4502 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4503 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4504 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4505 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4508 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4509 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4510 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4511 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4512 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4513 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4514 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4515 The default is @code{t}.
4518 @node Setting Process Marks
4519 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4520 @cindex setting process marks
4527 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4528 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4529 Mark the current article with the process mark
4530 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4531 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4535 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4536 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4537 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4538 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4541 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4542 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4543 Remove the process mark from all articles
4544 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4547 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4548 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4549 Invert the list of process marked articles
4550 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4553 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4554 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4555 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
4556 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4559 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4560 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4561 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4564 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4565 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4566 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4567 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4570 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4571 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4572 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4573 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4576 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4577 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4578 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4579 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4582 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4583 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4584 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4587 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4588 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4589 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4590 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4593 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4594 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4595 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4598 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4599 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4600 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4601 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4604 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4605 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4606 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4607 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4610 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4611 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4612 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4613 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4616 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4617 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4618 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4619 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4628 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4629 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4630 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4633 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
4634 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
4635 additional articles.
4641 @kindex / / (Summary)
4642 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4643 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4644 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4647 @kindex / a (Summary)
4648 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4649 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4650 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4654 @kindex / u (Summary)
4656 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4657 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4658 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4659 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4660 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4663 @kindex / m (Summary)
4664 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4665 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
4666 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4669 @kindex / t (Summary)
4670 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4671 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4672 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4673 articles younger than that number of days.
4676 @kindex / n (Summary)
4677 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4678 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4679 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4680 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4683 @kindex / w (Summary)
4684 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4685 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4686 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4690 @kindex / v (Summary)
4691 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4692 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4693 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4697 @kindex M S (Summary)
4698 @kindex / E (Summary)
4699 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4700 Include all expunged articles in the limit
4701 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4704 @kindex / D (Summary)
4705 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4706 Include all dormant articles in the limit
4707 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4710 @kindex / * (Summary)
4711 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
4712 Include all cached articles in the limit
4713 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
4716 @kindex / d (Summary)
4717 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4718 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
4719 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4722 @kindex / T (Summary)
4723 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
4724 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
4727 @kindex / c (Summary)
4728 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4729 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
4730 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4733 @kindex / C (Summary)
4734 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4735 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4736 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4737 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4745 @cindex article threading
4747 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4748 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4749 hierarchical fashion.
4751 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
4752 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
4753 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
4754 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
4755 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
4756 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
4757 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
4759 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
4763 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
4766 A tree-like article structure.
4769 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
4772 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
4773 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
4774 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
4775 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
4776 called loose threads.
4778 @item thread gathering
4779 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
4781 @item sparse threads
4782 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
4783 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
4789 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4790 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4794 @node Customizing Threading
4795 @subsection Customizing Threading
4796 @cindex customizing threading
4799 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
4800 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
4801 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
4802 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
4807 @subsubsection Loose Threads
4810 @cindex loose threads
4813 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4814 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4815 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4816 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4817 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4818 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4820 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
4821 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
4822 There are four possible values:
4826 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4827 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4828 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4829 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4830 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4835 @cindex adopting articles
4840 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4841 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4842 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4843 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4846 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4847 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4848 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4849 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4850 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4851 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4852 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4855 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4856 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4857 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4861 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4862 display them after one another.
4865 Don't gather loose threads.
4868 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4869 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4870 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4871 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
4872 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4873 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4874 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4875 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4876 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4877 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
4878 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4880 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4881 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
4882 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4885 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4886 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4887 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4888 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4889 simplification is used.
4891 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4892 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4893 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4894 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4896 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4898 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4904 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4905 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4906 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4907 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4912 (mapconcat 'identity
4913 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4915 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4918 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4921 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4922 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
4923 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
4924 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
4925 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
4926 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
4928 Useful functions to put in this list include:
4931 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
4932 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
4933 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
4935 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4936 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
4939 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
4940 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
4941 Remove excessive whitespace.
4944 You may also write your own functions, of course.
4947 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4948 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4949 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4950 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4951 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4952 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4953 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
4954 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4956 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4957 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4958 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4959 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4960 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4961 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4962 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
4963 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
4964 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4968 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4969 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4970 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4971 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4973 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4974 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4975 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4978 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4982 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4983 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4989 @node Filling In Threads
4990 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
4993 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4994 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4995 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4996 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
4997 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4998 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4999 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5000 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5001 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5002 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5003 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5004 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5006 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5007 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5008 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5010 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5011 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5012 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5013 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5014 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5015 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5016 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5017 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5018 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5019 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5020 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5021 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5022 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5023 @code{nil} by default.
5028 @node More Threading
5029 @subsubsection More Threading
5032 @item gnus-show-threads
5033 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5034 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5035 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5036 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5037 slower and more awkward.
5039 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5040 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5041 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5044 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5045 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5046 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5047 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5048 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5049 threads are expunged.
5051 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5052 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5053 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5056 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5057 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5058 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5059 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5060 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5063 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5064 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5065 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5071 @node Low-Level Threading
5072 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5076 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5077 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5078 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5079 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5080 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5081 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5083 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5084 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5085 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5086 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5087 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5088 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5089 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5090 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5091 meaningful. Here's one example:
5094 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5096 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5097 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5099 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5101 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5108 @node Thread Commands
5109 @subsection Thread Commands
5110 @cindex thread commands
5116 @kindex T k (Summary)
5117 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5119 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5120 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5121 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5126 @kindex T l (Summary)
5127 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5128 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5129 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5130 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5133 @kindex T i (Summary)
5134 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5135 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5136 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5139 @kindex T # (Summary)
5140 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5141 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5142 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5145 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5146 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5147 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5148 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5151 @kindex T T (Summary)
5152 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5153 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5156 @kindex T s (Summary)
5157 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5158 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5159 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5162 @kindex T h (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5164 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5167 @kindex T S (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5169 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5172 @kindex T H (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5174 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5177 @kindex T t (Summary)
5178 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5179 Re-thread the current article's thread
5180 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5181 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5184 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5185 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5186 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5187 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5191 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5192 understand the numeric prefix.
5197 @kindex T n (Summary)
5198 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5199 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5202 @kindex T p (Summary)
5203 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5204 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5207 @kindex T d (Summary)
5208 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5209 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5212 @kindex T u (Summary)
5213 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5214 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5217 @kindex T o (Summary)
5218 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5219 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5222 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5223 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5224 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5225 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5226 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5227 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5228 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5229 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5230 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5231 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5232 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5233 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5240 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5241 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5242 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5243 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5244 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5245 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5246 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5247 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5248 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5249 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5250 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5252 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5253 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5254 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5255 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5256 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5258 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5259 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5260 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5262 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5263 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5264 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5265 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5266 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5267 ascending article order.
5269 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5270 by number, you could do something like:
5273 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5274 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5275 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5276 (reverse gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5279 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5280 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5281 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5282 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5283 which the articles arrived.
5285 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5289 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5291 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5292 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5295 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5296 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5297 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5298 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5301 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5302 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5303 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5304 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5305 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5306 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5307 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5308 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5309 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5310 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5311 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5312 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5313 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5315 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5319 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5320 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5321 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5326 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5327 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5328 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5329 @cindex article pre-fetch
5332 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5333 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5334 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5335 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5336 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5338 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5339 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
5341 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5342 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5343 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5344 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5345 connection is blocked.
5347 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5348 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5349 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5350 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
5352 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
5353 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
5354 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
5355 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
5358 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
5361 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
5362 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
5363 happen automatically.
5365 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
5366 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
5367 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
5368 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
5369 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
5370 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
5371 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
5373 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
5374 @findex gnus-async-read-p
5375 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
5376 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
5377 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
5378 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
5379 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
5380 data structure as the only parameter.
5382 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
5385 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
5386 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
5387 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
5388 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
5391 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
5394 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
5395 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
5396 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
5398 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
5399 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
5400 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
5401 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
5405 Remove articles when they are read.
5408 Remove articles when exiting the group.
5411 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
5413 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
5414 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
5415 @c from the next group.
5418 @node Article Caching
5419 @section Article Caching
5420 @cindex article caching
5423 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
5424 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
5425 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
5426 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
5427 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
5429 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
5431 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5432 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
5433 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5434 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5435 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5436 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5437 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5438 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5440 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5441 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5442 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5443 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5444 as dormant, and don't worry.
5446 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5448 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5449 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5450 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5451 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5452 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5453 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5454 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5455 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5456 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5457 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5459 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5460 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5461 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5462 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
5463 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
5464 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
5465 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
5466 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
5467 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
5468 not then be downloaded by this command.
5470 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5471 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
5472 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
5473 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5474 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5475 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
5477 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
5478 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
5479 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
5480 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
5481 variables, the group is not cached.
5483 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5484 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5485 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5486 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5487 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5488 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
5489 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5490 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5491 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5495 @node Persistent Articles
5496 @section Persistent Articles
5497 @cindex persistent articles
5499 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5500 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5501 useful in my opinion.
5503 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5504 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5505 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5506 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5507 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5508 the expiry going on at the news server.
5510 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5511 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5512 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5518 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5519 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5522 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5523 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5524 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5525 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5529 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5531 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5532 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5533 interested in persistent articles:
5536 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5540 @node Article Backlog
5541 @section Article Backlog
5543 @cindex article backlog
5545 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5546 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5547 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
5548 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5549 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5550 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5551 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
5552 increase memory usage some.
5554 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5555 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
5556 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5557 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
5558 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5559 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5560 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5562 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5565 @node Saving Articles
5566 @section Saving Articles
5567 @cindex saving articles
5569 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5570 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5571 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5572 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5573 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5575 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5576 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
5577 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5579 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5580 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5581 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5582 deleted before saving.
5588 @kindex O o (Summary)
5590 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5591 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5592 Save the current article using the default article saver
5593 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5596 @kindex O m (Summary)
5597 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5598 Save the current article in mail format
5599 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5602 @kindex O r (Summary)
5603 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5604 Save the current article in rmail format
5605 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5608 @kindex O f (Summary)
5609 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5610 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5611 Save the current article in plain file format
5612 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5615 @kindex O F (Summary)
5616 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5617 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5618 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5621 @kindex O b (Summary)
5622 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5623 Save the current article body in plain file format
5624 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5627 @kindex O h (Summary)
5628 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5629 Save the current article in mh folder format
5630 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5633 @kindex O v (Summary)
5634 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5635 Save the current article in a VM folder
5636 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5639 @kindex O p (Summary)
5640 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5641 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5642 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5645 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5646 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5647 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5648 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5649 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5650 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5651 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5652 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5653 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5654 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5655 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5656 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5660 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5661 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5662 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5663 functions below, or you can create your own.
5667 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5668 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5669 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5670 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5671 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5672 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5673 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5675 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5676 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5677 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5678 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5679 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5680 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5682 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5683 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5684 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5685 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5686 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5687 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5688 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5690 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5691 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5692 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5693 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5694 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5696 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5697 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5698 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5699 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5700 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5703 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5704 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5705 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5706 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5707 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5709 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5710 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5711 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5712 reader to use this setting.
5715 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5716 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5717 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5718 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5721 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5722 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5723 available functions that generate names:
5727 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5728 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5729 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5731 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5732 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5733 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5735 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5736 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5737 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5739 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5740 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5741 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5744 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5745 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5746 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5747 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5748 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5752 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5753 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5754 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5755 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5758 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5759 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5760 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5761 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5762 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5763 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5764 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5765 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5766 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5768 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5769 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5770 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5771 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5773 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5774 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5775 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5778 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5779 lots of mail groups called things like
5780 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5781 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5782 following will do just that:
5785 (defun my-save-name (group)
5786 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5787 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5789 (setq gnus-split-methods
5790 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5795 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5796 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5797 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5798 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5799 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5800 all the files in the top level directory
5801 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5802 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5803 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5804 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5806 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5807 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5808 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5809 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5810 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5813 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5817 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5818 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5821 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5822 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5823 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5824 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5827 @node Decoding Articles
5828 @section Decoding Articles
5829 @cindex decoding articles
5831 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5832 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5835 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5836 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
5837 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5838 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5839 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5840 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5844 @cindex article series
5845 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5846 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5847 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5848 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5849 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5851 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5852 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5853 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5855 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
5856 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5857 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5859 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5860 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5861 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5864 @node Uuencoded Articles
5865 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5867 @cindex uuencoded articles
5872 @kindex X u (Summary)
5873 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5874 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5875 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5878 @kindex X U (Summary)
5879 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5880 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5881 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5884 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5885 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5886 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5889 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5890 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5891 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5892 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5896 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5897 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5898 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5899 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5900 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5902 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5903 @sc{GNUS 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5904 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5905 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5908 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5909 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5910 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5911 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5912 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5913 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5917 @node Shell Archives
5918 @subsection Shell Archives
5920 @cindex shell archives
5921 @cindex shared articles
5923 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
5924 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
5925 some commands to deal with these:
5930 @kindex X s (Summary)
5931 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5932 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5935 @kindex X S (Summary)
5936 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5937 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5940 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5941 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5942 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5945 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5947 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5948 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5952 @node PostScript Files
5953 @subsection PostScript Files
5959 @kindex X p (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5961 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5964 @kindex X P (Summary)
5965 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5966 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5967 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5970 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5971 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5972 View the current PostScript series
5973 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5976 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5977 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5978 View and save the current PostScript series
5979 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5984 @subsection Other Files
5988 @kindex X o (Summary)
5989 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
5990 Save the current series
5991 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
5994 @kindex X b (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
5996 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
5997 doesn't really work yet.
6001 @node Decoding Variables
6002 @subsection Decoding Variables
6004 Adjective, not verb.
6007 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6008 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6009 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6013 @node Rule Variables
6014 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6015 @cindex rule variables
6017 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6018 variables are of the form
6021 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6028 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6029 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6031 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6032 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6035 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6036 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
6039 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6040 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6041 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6042 user and default view rules.
6044 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6045 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6046 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6051 @node Other Decode Variables
6052 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6055 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6057 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6058 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6059 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6060 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6061 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6065 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6066 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6069 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6070 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6071 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6074 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6075 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6076 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6077 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6078 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6081 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6082 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6083 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6085 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6086 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6087 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6088 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6089 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6092 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6093 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6094 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6096 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6097 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6098 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6099 looking for files to display.
6101 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6102 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6103 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6106 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6107 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6108 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6111 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6112 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6113 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6116 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6117 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6118 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6121 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6122 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6123 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6124 decoded articles as unread.
6126 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6127 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6128 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6129 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6131 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6132 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6133 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6135 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6136 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6138 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6139 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6140 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6141 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6143 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6144 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6145 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6146 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6147 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6148 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
6149 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6150 simply dropped them.
6155 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6156 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6160 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6161 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6162 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6163 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6164 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6165 for you when you post the article.
6167 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6168 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6169 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6170 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6172 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6173 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6174 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6175 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6176 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6177 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6178 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6180 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6181 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6182 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6183 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6184 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6185 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6186 Default is @code{t}.
6192 @subsection Viewing Files
6193 @cindex viewing files
6194 @cindex pseudo-articles
6196 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
6197 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6198 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6199 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
6200 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6201 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6202 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6204 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6205 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6206 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6207 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6209 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6210 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6211 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6213 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6214 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6215 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6216 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6217 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6219 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6220 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6221 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6222 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6223 a list of parameters to that command.
6225 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6226 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6227 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6229 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6230 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6231 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6234 @node Article Treatment
6235 @section Article Treatment
6237 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6238 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6239 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6240 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6241 these articles easier.
6244 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6245 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6246 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6247 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6248 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6249 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6250 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6254 @node Article Highlighting
6255 @subsection Article Highlighting
6256 @cindex highlighting
6258 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6259 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6264 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6266 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6267 Do much highlighting of the current article
6268 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6269 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6272 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6273 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6274 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6275 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6276 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6277 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
6278 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6279 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6280 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6281 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6282 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6285 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6286 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6287 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6289 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6292 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6294 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6295 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6296 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6298 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6299 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6300 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6302 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6303 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6304 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6306 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6307 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6308 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6309 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6310 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6311 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6313 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6314 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6315 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6317 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6318 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6319 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6321 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6322 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6323 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6324 that it's a citation.
6326 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6327 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6328 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6330 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6331 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6332 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6334 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6335 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6336 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6337 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6343 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6344 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6345 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6346 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6347 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6348 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6349 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6350 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
6355 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to highlight articles automatically.
6358 @node Article Fontisizing
6359 @subsection Article Fontisizing
6361 @cindex article emphasis
6363 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
6364 @kindex W e (Summary)
6365 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
6366 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
6367 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
6368 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
6370 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
6371 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
6372 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
6373 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
6374 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
6375 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
6376 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
6377 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
6381 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
6382 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
6383 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
6386 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
6387 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
6388 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
6389 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
6390 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
6391 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
6392 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
6393 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
6394 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
6395 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
6396 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
6397 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
6398 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
6400 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
6401 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
6402 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
6406 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
6409 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to fontize articles automatically.
6412 @node Article Hiding
6413 @subsection Article Hiding
6414 @cindex article hiding
6416 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
6417 too much cruft in most articles.
6422 @kindex W W a (Summary)
6423 @findex gnus-article-hide
6424 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
6425 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
6426 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
6429 @kindex W W h (Summary)
6430 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
6431 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
6435 @kindex W W b (Summary)
6436 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6437 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
6438 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
6441 @kindex W W s (Summary)
6442 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
6443 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
6447 @kindex W W p (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
6449 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6450 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
6451 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
6452 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
6453 articles that have signatures in them do:
6455 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
6457 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
6459 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
6460 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
6462 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6465 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
6470 @kindex W W P (Summary)
6471 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
6472 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
6473 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6476 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6477 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6478 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6479 customizing the hiding:
6483 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6484 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6485 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6486 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6487 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6488 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6489 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6494 Starting point of the hidden text.
6496 Ending point of the hidden text.
6498 Number of characters in the hidden region.
6500 Number of lines of hidden text.
6503 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6504 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6505 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6510 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
6511 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
6513 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
6514 following two variables:
6517 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6518 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6519 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6520 50), hide the cited text.
6522 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6523 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6524 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6529 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6530 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6531 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6532 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6533 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6534 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6538 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6539 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6540 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6542 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6543 citation customization.
6545 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to hide article elements
6549 @node Article Washing
6550 @subsection Article Washing
6552 @cindex article washing
6554 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6555 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6557 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6558 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6564 @kindex W l (Summary)
6565 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6566 Remove page breaks from the current article
6567 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article} for page
6571 @kindex W r (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6573 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6574 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6575 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6576 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
6577 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
6579 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
6580 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
6581 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
6582 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
6585 @kindex W t (Summary)
6586 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6587 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6588 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6591 @kindex W v (Summary)
6592 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6593 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6594 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6597 @kindex W m (Summary)
6598 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6599 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6600 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6603 @kindex W o (Summary)
6604 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6605 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6608 @kindex W d (Summary)
6609 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
6610 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
6612 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
6614 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
6615 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
6616 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
6617 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
6621 @kindex W w (Summary)
6622 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6623 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
6625 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6629 @kindex W q (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
6631 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
6634 @kindex W c (Summary)
6635 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6636 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
6637 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
6638 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
6639 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6642 @kindex W f (Summary)
6644 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6645 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6646 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6647 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6653 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6654 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6655 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6656 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6657 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6658 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6659 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6660 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6661 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6662 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6663 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6664 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6665 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6666 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6670 @kindex W b (Summary)
6671 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6672 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6673 @xref{Article Buttons}.
6676 @kindex W B (Summary)
6677 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6678 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6679 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6682 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6683 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6684 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6685 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6688 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6689 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6690 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6691 lines with a single empty line.
6692 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6695 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6696 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6697 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6698 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6701 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6702 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6703 Do all the three commands above
6704 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6707 @kindex W E A (Summary)
6708 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
6709 Remove all blank lines
6710 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
6713 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6714 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6715 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6716 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6719 @kindex W E e (Summary)
6720 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
6721 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
6722 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
6726 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to wash articles automatically.
6729 @node Article Buttons
6730 @subsection Article Buttons
6733 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6734 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6735 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
6736 button on these references.
6738 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6739 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6740 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6745 @item gnus-button-alist
6746 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6747 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6750 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6756 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6757 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6758 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6761 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6762 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6763 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6766 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6767 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6768 avoid false matches.
6771 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6774 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6775 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6779 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6782 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6785 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6786 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6787 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6788 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6789 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6792 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6795 @var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
6797 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6798 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6799 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6800 default values of the variables above.
6802 @item gnus-article-button-face
6803 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6804 Face used on buttons.
6806 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6807 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6808 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6812 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to buttonize articles automatically.
6816 @subsection Article Date
6818 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6819 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6820 when the article was sent.
6825 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6827 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6828 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6831 @kindex W T i (Summary)
6832 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
6834 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
6835 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
6838 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6839 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6840 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6843 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6844 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6845 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6846 @findex format-time-string
6847 Display the date using a user-defined format
6848 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6849 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6850 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6851 for a list of possible format specs.
6854 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6855 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6856 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
6857 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
6858 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
6859 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). If you want to have this line
6860 updated continually, you can put
6863 (gnus-start-date-timer)
6866 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
6867 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
6871 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6872 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6873 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6874 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
6875 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6876 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6877 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6881 @xref{Customizing Articles} for how to display the date in your
6882 preferred format automatically.
6885 @node Article Signature
6886 @subsection Article Signature
6888 @cindex article signature
6890 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6891 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6892 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6893 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6894 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6895 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6896 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6897 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6898 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6901 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6902 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6903 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6904 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6905 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6906 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6907 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6908 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6911 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6914 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6915 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6920 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6923 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6926 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6927 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6929 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6930 in question is not a signature.
6933 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6934 listed above. Here's an example:
6937 (setq gnus-signature-limit
6938 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
6941 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
6942 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
6943 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
6944 signature after all.
6948 @section MIME Commands
6949 @cindex MIME decoding
6953 @kindex M-t (Summary)
6954 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
6955 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
6956 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
6959 @kindex W M w (Summary)
6960 Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers
6961 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
6964 @kindex W M c (Summary)
6965 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
6966 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
6968 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
6969 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
6970 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
6971 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
6972 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
6973 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
6976 @kindex W M v (Summary)
6977 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
6978 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
6985 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
6986 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
6987 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
6988 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
6991 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
6994 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
6998 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
6999 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7000 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7001 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7002 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7004 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7005 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7006 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7007 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7008 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7009 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7010 save all jpegs into some directory).
7012 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7015 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7016 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7018 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7019 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7020 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7021 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7022 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7028 @node Article Commands
7029 @section Article Commands
7036 @kindex A P (Summary)
7037 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
7038 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
7039 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
7040 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
7041 run just before printing the buffer.
7046 @node Summary Sorting
7047 @section Summary Sorting
7048 @cindex summary sorting
7050 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
7051 can't really see why you'd want that.
7056 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
7057 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
7058 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
7061 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
7062 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
7063 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
7066 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
7067 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
7068 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
7071 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
7072 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
7073 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
7076 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
7077 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
7078 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
7081 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
7082 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
7083 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
7086 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
7087 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
7088 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
7089 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
7090 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
7094 @node Finding the Parent
7095 @section Finding the Parent
7096 @cindex parent articles
7097 @cindex referring articles
7102 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
7103 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
7104 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
7105 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
7106 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
7107 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
7108 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
7109 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
7110 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
7112 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
7113 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
7114 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
7115 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
7116 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
7120 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
7121 @kindex A R (Summary)
7122 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
7123 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
7126 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
7127 @kindex A T (Summary)
7128 Display the full thread where the current article appears
7129 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
7130 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
7131 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
7132 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
7133 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
7134 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
7136 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
7137 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
7138 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
7139 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
7140 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
7141 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
7144 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
7145 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
7147 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
7148 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
7149 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
7150 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
7151 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
7152 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
7153 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
7156 The current select method will be used when fetching by
7157 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
7158 by giving this command a prefix.
7160 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
7161 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
7162 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
7163 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
7164 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
7165 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
7168 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
7169 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
7170 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
7171 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
7172 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
7173 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
7176 @node Alternative Approaches
7177 @section Alternative Approaches
7179 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
7180 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
7183 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
7184 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
7189 @subsection Pick and Read
7190 @cindex pick and read
7192 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
7193 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
7194 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
7195 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
7197 @findex gnus-pick-mode
7198 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
7199 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
7200 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
7201 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
7202 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
7204 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
7209 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
7210 Pick the article or thread on the current line
7211 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7212 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
7213 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
7214 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
7215 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
7216 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
7219 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
7220 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
7221 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
7222 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
7226 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
7227 Unpick the thread or article
7228 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7229 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
7230 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
7231 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
7232 the thread or article at that line.
7236 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
7237 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
7238 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
7239 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
7240 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
7241 will still be visible when you are reading.
7245 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
7246 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
7247 which is mapped to the same function
7248 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
7250 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
7253 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
7256 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
7257 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
7259 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
7260 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
7261 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
7263 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
7264 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
7265 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
7266 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
7267 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
7268 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
7269 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
7273 @subsection Binary Groups
7274 @cindex binary groups
7276 @findex gnus-binary-mode
7277 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
7278 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
7279 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
7280 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
7281 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
7282 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
7285 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
7286 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
7287 command, when you have turned on this mode
7288 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
7290 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
7291 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
7295 @section Tree Display
7298 @vindex gnus-use-trees
7299 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
7300 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
7301 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
7304 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
7307 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
7308 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
7309 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
7311 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7312 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7313 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
7314 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
7315 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
7317 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
7318 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
7319 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
7320 default is @code{modeline}.
7322 @item gnus-tree-line-format
7323 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
7324 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
7325 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
7326 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
7327 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
7328 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
7334 The name of the poster.
7336 The @code{From} header.
7338 The number of the article.
7340 The opening bracket.
7342 The closing bracket.
7347 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7349 Variables related to the display are:
7352 @item gnus-tree-brackets
7353 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
7354 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
7355 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
7356 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
7357 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
7359 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7360 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7361 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
7362 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
7366 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
7367 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
7368 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
7369 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
7370 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
7371 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
7372 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
7373 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
7374 other windows displayed next to it.
7376 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
7377 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
7378 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7379 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
7380 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
7381 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
7382 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
7386 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
7389 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
7399 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
7403 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
7404 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
7406 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
7408 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
7413 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
7414 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
7415 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
7418 (setq gnus-use-trees t
7419 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7420 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
7421 (gnus-add-configuration
7425 (summary 0.75 point)
7430 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
7433 @node Mail Group Commands
7434 @section Mail Group Commands
7435 @cindex mail group commands
7437 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
7438 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
7440 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
7441 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7446 @kindex B e (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
7448 Expire all expirable articles in the group
7449 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
7452 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
7454 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
7455 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
7456 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
7457 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
7460 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
7461 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
7462 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
7463 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
7464 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
7465 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
7468 @kindex B m (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
7471 Move the article from one mail group to another
7472 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7475 @kindex B c (Summary)
7477 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
7478 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
7479 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
7480 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
7483 @kindex B B (Summary)
7484 @cindex crosspost mail
7485 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
7486 Crosspost the current article to some other group
7487 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
7488 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
7489 be properly updated.
7492 @kindex B i (Summary)
7493 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
7494 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
7495 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
7496 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
7499 @kindex B r (Summary)
7500 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
7501 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
7502 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
7503 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
7504 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
7508 @kindex B w (Summary)
7510 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
7511 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
7512 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
7513 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
7514 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
7515 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
7518 @kindex B q (Summary)
7519 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
7520 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
7521 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
7522 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
7525 @kindex B t (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
7527 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
7528 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
7531 @kindex B p (Summary)
7532 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
7533 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
7534 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
7535 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
7536 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
7537 article from your news server (or rather, from
7538 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
7539 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
7540 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
7541 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
7542 just not have arrived yet.
7546 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
7547 @cindex moving articles
7548 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
7549 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
7550 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
7551 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
7552 suggestions you find reasonable.
7555 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
7556 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
7557 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
7558 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
7562 @node Various Summary Stuff
7563 @section Various Summary Stuff
7566 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
7567 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
7568 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
7569 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
7573 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
7574 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
7575 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
7577 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
7578 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
7579 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
7580 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
7581 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
7582 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
7585 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7586 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7587 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
7588 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
7589 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
7591 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7592 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7593 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
7596 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7597 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7598 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
7599 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
7600 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
7601 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
7602 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
7603 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
7604 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
7605 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
7610 @node Summary Group Information
7611 @subsection Summary Group Information
7616 @kindex H f (Summary)
7617 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
7618 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
7619 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
7620 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
7621 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
7622 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
7623 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
7624 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
7625 be used for fetching the file.
7628 @kindex H d (Summary)
7629 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
7630 Give a brief description of the current group
7631 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
7632 rereading the description from the server.
7635 @kindex H h (Summary)
7636 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
7637 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
7638 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
7641 @kindex H i (Summary)
7642 @findex gnus-info-find-node
7643 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7647 @node Searching for Articles
7648 @subsection Searching for Articles
7653 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7654 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7655 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7656 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7659 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7660 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7661 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7662 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7666 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7667 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7668 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7669 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7673 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7674 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7675 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7676 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7679 @node Summary Generation Commands
7680 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7685 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7686 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7687 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7690 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7691 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7692 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
7693 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
7698 @node Really Various Summary Commands
7699 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
7704 @kindex C-d (Summary)
7705 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
7706 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
7707 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
7708 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
7709 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
7710 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
7711 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
7712 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
7716 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
7717 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
7718 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
7719 several documents into one biiig group
7720 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
7721 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
7722 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
7723 command understands the process/prefix convention
7724 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7727 @kindex C-t (Summary)
7728 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
7729 Toggle truncation of summary lines
7730 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
7731 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
7732 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
7736 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
7737 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
7738 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
7741 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
7742 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
7743 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
7744 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
7747 @kindex M-C-g (Summary)
7748 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
7749 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
7750 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
7755 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
7756 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
7757 @cindex summary exit
7758 @cindex exiting groups
7760 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
7761 group and return you to the group buffer.
7767 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
7769 @findex gnus-summary-exit
7770 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
7771 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
7772 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
7773 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
7774 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
7775 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
7776 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
7777 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
7778 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
7779 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
7783 @kindex Z E (Summary)
7785 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
7786 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
7787 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
7791 @kindex Z c (Summary)
7793 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
7794 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
7795 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
7796 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
7799 @kindex Z C (Summary)
7800 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
7801 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
7802 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
7805 @kindex Z n (Summary)
7806 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
7807 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
7808 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
7811 @kindex Z R (Summary)
7812 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
7813 Exit this group, and then enter it again
7814 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
7815 all articles, both read and unread.
7819 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7820 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7821 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7822 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
7823 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7824 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7825 articles, both read and unread.
7828 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7829 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7830 Exit the group and go to the next group
7831 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7834 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7835 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7836 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7837 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7840 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7841 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7842 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7843 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7844 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7845 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7848 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7849 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7852 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7853 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7854 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7855 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7856 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7857 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7858 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7859 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7860 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7861 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7862 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7863 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7865 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7867 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7868 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7869 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7870 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7871 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7872 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7873 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7874 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7875 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7878 @node Crosspost Handling
7879 @section Crosspost Handling
7883 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7884 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7885 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7886 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7887 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7888 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7891 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7892 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7893 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7894 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7895 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7897 @cindex cross-posting
7900 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7901 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7902 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7903 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7904 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7905 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7906 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7907 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7908 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7909 the cross reference mechanism.
7911 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7912 @cindex overview.fmt
7913 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7914 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7915 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7916 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7917 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7918 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7921 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7922 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7923 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7928 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7931 @node Duplicate Suppression
7932 @section Duplicate Suppression
7934 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7935 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7936 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7937 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
7942 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7943 is evil and not very common.
7946 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7947 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7950 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7951 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7954 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7957 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
7958 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7960 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7961 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7962 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7963 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7964 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7965 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7966 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7969 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7970 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7971 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7972 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7973 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7977 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7978 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7979 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7981 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7982 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7983 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7984 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7985 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
7986 session are suppressed.
7988 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7989 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7990 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7991 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7993 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7994 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7995 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
7996 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7999 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
8000 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
8001 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
8002 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
8003 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
8004 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
8005 to you to figure out, I think.
8008 @node The Article Buffer
8009 @chapter The Article Buffer
8010 @cindex article buffer
8012 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
8013 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
8014 tell gnus otherwise.
8017 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
8018 * Using MIME:: Pushing to mime articles as @sc{mime} messages.
8019 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
8020 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
8021 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
8025 @node Hiding Headers
8026 @section Hiding Headers
8027 @cindex hiding headers
8028 @cindex deleting headers
8030 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
8031 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
8033 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
8034 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
8035 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
8036 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
8037 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
8038 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
8039 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
8040 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
8041 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
8043 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
8047 @item gnus-visible-headers
8048 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
8049 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
8050 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
8051 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
8053 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
8054 the article and the subject, you'd say:
8057 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
8060 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8063 @item gnus-ignored-headers
8064 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
8065 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
8066 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
8067 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
8068 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
8070 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
8071 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
8074 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
8077 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8080 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
8081 variable will have no effect.
8085 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
8086 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
8087 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
8088 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
8089 the headers are to be displayed.
8091 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
8092 and then the subject, you might say something like:
8095 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
8098 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
8099 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
8101 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8102 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
8103 You can hide further boring headers by setting
8104 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
8105 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
8106 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
8107 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
8110 These conditions are:
8113 Remove all empty headers.
8115 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
8116 @code{Newsgroups} header.
8118 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
8121 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
8124 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
8127 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
8129 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
8132 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
8135 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
8136 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
8139 This is also the default value for this variable.
8143 @section Using @sc{mime}
8146 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
8147 while people stand around yawning.
8149 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
8150 while all newsreaders die of fear.
8152 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
8153 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
8154 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
8156 @vindex gnus-show-mime
8157 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
8158 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
8159 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
8160 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
8161 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
8162 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
8163 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
8164 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
8165 existed yet, sorry).
8167 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
8168 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
8169 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
8170 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
8171 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
8172 buffer. These can't be avoided.
8174 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
8175 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
8176 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
8177 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
8178 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
8179 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
8180 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
8181 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
8182 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
8185 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
8187 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
8188 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
8189 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
8190 buffer when there are nobody else.
8193 @node Customizing Articles
8194 @section Customizing Articles
8195 @cindex article customization
8197 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
8198 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
8199 called automatically when you select the articles.
8201 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
8202 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
8203 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
8204 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
8208 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
8211 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
8214 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
8217 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
8220 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
8226 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
8227 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
8228 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
8232 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
8237 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
8238 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
8239 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
8240 considered to contain just a single part.
8242 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
8243 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
8244 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
8245 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
8246 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
8247 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
8248 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
8250 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
8251 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
8255 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature
8256 @item gnus-treat-buttonize
8257 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head
8258 @item gnus-treat-emphasize
8259 @item gnus-treat-fill-article
8260 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr
8261 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers
8262 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
8263 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature
8264 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation
8265 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp
8266 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem
8267 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers
8268 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation
8269 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature
8270 @item gnus-treat-date-ut
8271 @item gnus-treat-date-local
8272 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed
8273 @item gnus-treat-date-original
8274 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
8275 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
8276 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8277 @item gnus-treat-strip-blank-lines
8278 @item gnus-treat-overstrike
8279 @item gnus-treat-display-xface
8280 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys
8281 @item gnus-treat-display-picons
8284 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
8285 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
8286 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
8287 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
8288 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
8289 everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead make
8290 them invisible if you want to make them go away.
8293 @node Article Keymap
8294 @section Article Keymap
8296 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
8297 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
8298 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
8299 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
8302 A few additional keystrokes are available:
8307 @kindex SPACE (Article)
8308 @findex gnus-article-next-page
8309 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
8312 @kindex DEL (Article)
8313 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
8314 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
8317 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
8318 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
8319 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
8320 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
8321 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
8324 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
8325 @findex gnus-article-mail
8326 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
8327 given a prefix, include the mail.
8331 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
8332 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
8333 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
8337 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
8338 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
8339 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
8342 @kindex TAB (Article)
8343 @findex gnus-article-next-button
8344 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
8345 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
8348 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
8349 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
8350 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
8356 @section Misc Article
8360 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
8361 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
8362 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
8363 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
8366 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
8367 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
8369 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
8370 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
8372 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
8373 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
8374 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
8375 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
8376 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
8377 the contents of the article buffer.
8379 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
8380 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
8381 Hook called in article mode buffers.
8383 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8384 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8385 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
8386 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
8388 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
8389 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
8390 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
8391 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
8392 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
8397 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
8398 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
8401 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
8404 @vindex gnus-break-pages
8406 @item gnus-break-pages
8407 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
8408 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
8409 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
8410 paging will not be done.
8412 @item gnus-page-delimiter
8413 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
8414 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
8419 @node Composing Messages
8420 @chapter Composing Messages
8421 @cindex composing messages
8424 @cindex sending mail
8429 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
8430 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
8431 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
8432 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
8433 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
8434 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
8435 to make gnus try to post using the foreign server.
8438 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
8439 * Post:: Posting and following up.
8440 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
8441 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
8442 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
8443 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
8444 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
8445 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
8448 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
8449 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
8455 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
8458 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
8459 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
8460 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
8461 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
8463 @item gnus-add-to-list
8464 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
8465 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
8466 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
8474 Variables for composing news articles:
8477 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8478 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8479 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
8480 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
8481 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
8482 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
8483 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
8484 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
8485 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want gnus to keep a history
8488 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8489 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8490 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
8491 file. It is 1000 by default.
8496 @node Posting Server
8497 @section Posting Server
8499 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
8500 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
8502 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
8504 @vindex gnus-post-method
8506 It can be quite complicated. Normally, gnus will use the same native
8507 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
8508 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
8509 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
8510 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
8513 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
8516 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
8517 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
8518 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
8519 the ``current'' server for posting.
8521 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
8522 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
8524 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
8525 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
8528 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
8529 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
8530 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
8535 @section Mail and Post
8537 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
8541 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
8542 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
8543 @cindex mailing lists
8545 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
8546 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
8547 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
8548 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
8549 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
8550 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
8551 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
8552 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
8553 still a pain, though.
8557 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
8558 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
8559 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
8562 @findex ispell-message
8564 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
8568 @node Archived Messages
8569 @section Archived Messages
8570 @cindex archived messages
8571 @cindex sent messages
8573 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
8574 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
8575 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
8576 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
8579 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
8580 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
8581 use to store sent messages. The default is:
8585 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
8586 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
8587 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
8588 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
8591 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
8592 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
8593 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
8594 directory chosen, you could say something like:
8597 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
8598 '(nnfolder "archive"
8599 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
8600 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
8601 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
8604 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
8606 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
8607 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
8608 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
8610 This variable can be used to do the following:
8614 Messages will be saved in that group.
8615 @item a list of strings
8616 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
8617 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
8618 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
8620 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
8625 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
8627 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
8630 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
8632 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
8635 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
8637 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8638 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
8639 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
8640 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
8645 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8646 '((if (message-news-p)
8651 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
8652 messages in one file per month:
8655 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8656 '((if (message-news-p)
8658 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
8659 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
8662 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
8663 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
8665 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
8666 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
8667 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
8668 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
8669 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
8670 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
8671 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
8672 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
8673 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
8674 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
8676 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
8677 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
8678 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
8679 this will disable archiving.
8682 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
8683 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
8684 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
8685 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
8686 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
8689 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
8690 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
8691 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
8694 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
8695 but the latter is the preferred method.
8699 @node Posting Styles
8700 @section Posting Styles
8701 @cindex posting styles
8704 All them variables, they make my head swim.
8706 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
8707 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
8708 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
8711 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
8712 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
8713 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
8714 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
8715 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
8720 (signature "Peace and happiness")
8721 (organization "What me?"))
8723 (signature "Death to everybody"))
8724 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
8725 (organization "Emacs is it")))
8728 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
8729 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
8730 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
8731 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
8732 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
8733 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
8734 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
8735 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
8737 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
8738 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
8739 If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
8740 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
8741 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
8742 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
8745 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
8746 attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
8747 can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
8748 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
8749 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
8750 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
8753 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
8754 return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
8755 list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
8757 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
8758 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
8759 of the two dynamically bound variables @code{message-this-is-news} and
8760 @code{message-this-is-mail}.
8762 @vindex message-this-is-mail
8763 @vindex message-this-is-news
8765 So here's a new example:
8768 (setq gnus-posting-styles
8770 (signature-file "~/.signature")
8772 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
8773 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
8775 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
8776 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
8777 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
8778 (message-this-is-news
8779 (signature my-news-signature))
8780 (posting-from-work-p
8781 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
8782 (address "user@@bar.foo")
8783 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
8784 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
8786 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
8794 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
8795 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
8796 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
8797 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
8798 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
8800 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
8801 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
8802 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
8803 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
8804 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
8808 @vindex nndraft-directory
8809 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
8810 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
8811 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
8812 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
8813 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
8814 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
8816 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
8817 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
8820 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
8821 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
8822 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
8823 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
8824 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
8825 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
8826 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
8827 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
8828 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
8829 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
8830 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
8831 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
8832 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
8833 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
8835 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
8836 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
8837 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
8839 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
8841 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
8842 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
8843 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
8845 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
8848 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
8849 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
8850 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
8851 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
8852 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
8853 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
8854 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
8857 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
8858 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
8859 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
8862 @node Rejected Articles
8863 @section Rejected Articles
8864 @cindex rejected articles
8866 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
8867 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
8868 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
8869 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
8871 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
8872 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
8873 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
8874 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
8875 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
8877 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
8878 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
8879 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
8882 @node Select Methods
8883 @chapter Select Methods
8884 @cindex foreign groups
8885 @cindex select methods
8887 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
8888 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
8889 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
8890 personal mail group.
8892 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
8893 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
8894 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
8895 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
8896 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
8897 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
8899 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
8900 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
8902 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
8905 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
8906 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
8907 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
8908 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
8909 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
8911 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
8914 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
8915 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
8916 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
8917 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
8918 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
8919 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
8923 @node The Server Buffer
8924 @section The Server Buffer
8926 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
8927 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
8928 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
8929 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
8930 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
8931 backend represents a virtual server.
8933 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
8934 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
8935 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
8936 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
8938 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
8939 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8940 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8941 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8942 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8943 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8944 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8946 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
8947 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8950 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8951 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8952 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8953 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8954 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8955 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8956 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8959 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8960 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8963 @node Server Buffer Format
8964 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8965 @cindex server buffer format
8967 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8968 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8969 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8970 variable, with some simple extensions:
8975 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8978 The name of this server.
8981 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8984 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8987 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8988 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8989 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
8990 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
9000 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
9003 @node Server Commands
9004 @subsection Server Commands
9005 @cindex server commands
9011 @findex gnus-server-add-server
9012 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
9016 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
9017 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
9020 @kindex SPACE (Server)
9021 @findex gnus-server-read-server
9022 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
9026 @findex gnus-server-exit
9027 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
9031 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
9032 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
9036 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
9037 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
9041 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
9042 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
9046 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
9047 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
9051 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
9052 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
9053 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
9058 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
9059 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
9060 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
9061 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
9066 @node Example Methods
9067 @subsection Example Methods
9069 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
9072 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
9075 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
9081 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
9082 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
9085 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
9086 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
9088 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
9089 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
9093 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
9096 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
9097 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
9099 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
9100 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
9101 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
9105 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
9108 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
9111 Here's the method for a public spool:
9115 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
9116 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
9119 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
9120 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
9121 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
9122 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
9123 should probably look something like this:
9127 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
9128 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9129 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9130 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9131 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
9134 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
9135 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
9136 server that would look something like this:
9140 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
9141 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
9142 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9143 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9144 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9145 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
9148 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
9149 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
9150 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
9151 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
9154 @node Creating a Virtual Server
9155 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
9157 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
9158 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
9160 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
9161 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
9162 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
9164 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
9166 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
9167 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
9168 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
9169 will contain the following:
9179 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
9180 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
9181 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
9184 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
9185 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
9186 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
9189 @node Server Variables
9190 @subsection Server Variables
9192 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
9193 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
9194 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
9195 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
9196 won't change the "derived" variables.
9198 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
9199 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
9200 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
9201 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
9202 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
9203 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
9204 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
9205 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
9206 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
9210 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
9211 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
9212 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
9216 @node Servers and Methods
9217 @subsection Servers and Methods
9219 Wherever you would normally use a select method
9220 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
9221 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
9222 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
9226 @node Unavailable Servers
9227 @subsection Unavailable Servers
9229 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
9230 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
9231 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
9232 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
9233 actually the case or not.
9235 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
9236 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
9237 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
9238 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
9239 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
9240 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
9241 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
9242 it will regard that server as ``down''.
9244 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
9245 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
9247 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
9248 with the following commands:
9254 @findex gnus-server-open-server
9255 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
9256 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
9260 @findex gnus-server-close-server
9261 Close the connection (if any) to the server
9262 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
9266 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
9267 Mark the current server as unreachable
9268 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
9271 @kindex M-o (Server)
9272 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
9273 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
9274 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
9277 @kindex M-c (Server)
9278 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
9279 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
9280 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
9284 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
9285 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
9286 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
9292 @section Getting News
9293 @cindex reading news
9294 @cindex news backends
9296 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
9297 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
9298 or it can read from a local spool.
9301 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
9302 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
9307 @subsection @sc{nntp}
9310 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
9311 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
9312 server as the, uhm, address.
9314 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
9315 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
9316 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
9317 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9319 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
9320 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
9321 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
9323 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
9328 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
9329 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
9330 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
9332 @cindex authentification
9333 @cindex nntp authentification
9334 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9335 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
9336 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
9337 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
9338 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
9339 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
9340 present in this hook.
9342 @item nntp-authinfo-function
9343 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
9344 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9345 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
9346 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
9347 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
9348 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
9349 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
9350 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
9351 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
9352 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
9353 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
9357 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
9360 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
9361 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
9362 @samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
9363 @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
9364 @file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
9369 Here's an example file:
9372 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
9373 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
9376 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
9377 have to be first, for instance.
9379 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
9380 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
9381 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
9382 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
9383 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
9384 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
9385 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
9387 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
9388 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
9394 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
9395 previously mentioned.
9397 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
9399 @item nntp-server-action-alist
9400 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
9401 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
9402 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
9403 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
9406 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
9410 You probably don't want to do that, though.
9412 The default value is
9415 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
9416 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
9419 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
9420 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
9422 @item nntp-maximum-request
9423 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
9424 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
9425 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
9426 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
9427 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
9428 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
9429 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
9431 @item nntp-connection-timeout
9432 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
9433 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
9434 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
9435 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
9436 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
9437 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
9438 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
9439 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
9440 no timeouts are done.
9442 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
9443 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
9444 @c @cindex PPP connections
9445 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
9446 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
9447 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
9448 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
9449 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
9450 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
9451 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
9452 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
9453 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
9454 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
9456 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
9457 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
9458 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
9459 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
9462 @item nntp-server-hook
9463 @vindex nntp-server-hook
9464 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
9467 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
9468 @findex nntp-open-telnet
9469 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
9470 @item nntp-open-connection-function
9471 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
9472 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
9473 functions are supplied:
9476 @item nntp-open-network-stream
9477 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
9480 @item nntp-open-rlogin
9481 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
9482 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
9485 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
9489 @item nntp-rlogin-program
9490 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
9491 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
9492 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
9494 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
9495 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
9496 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
9498 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9499 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9500 User name on the remote system.
9504 @item nntp-open-telnet
9505 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
9506 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
9508 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
9511 @item nntp-telnet-command
9512 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
9513 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
9515 @item nntp-telnet-switches
9516 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
9517 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
9519 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
9520 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
9521 User name for log in on the remote system.
9523 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
9524 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
9525 Password to use when logging in.
9527 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
9528 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
9529 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
9532 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9533 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9534 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
9535 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
9537 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9538 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9539 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
9540 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
9541 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
9545 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
9546 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
9547 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
9548 you must have SSLay installed
9549 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
9550 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
9551 define a server as follows:
9554 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
9556 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
9558 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
9559 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
9560 (nntp-port-number "snews")
9561 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
9566 @item nntp-end-of-line
9567 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
9568 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
9569 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
9570 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
9572 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9573 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9574 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
9578 @vindex nntp-address
9579 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
9581 @item nntp-port-number
9582 @vindex nntp-port-number
9583 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
9586 @item nntp-buggy-select
9587 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
9588 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
9590 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
9591 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
9592 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
9593 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
9596 @item nntp-xover-commands
9597 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
9600 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
9601 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
9605 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
9606 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
9607 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
9608 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
9609 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
9610 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
9611 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
9612 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
9613 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
9614 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
9615 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
9617 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
9618 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
9619 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
9621 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9622 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9623 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
9624 server closes connection.
9626 @item nntp-record-commands
9627 @vindex nntp-record-commands
9628 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
9629 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
9630 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
9631 that doesn't seem to work.
9637 @subsection News Spool
9641 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
9642 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
9643 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
9646 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
9647 anything else) as the address.
9649 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
9650 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
9651 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
9652 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
9656 @item nnspool-inews-program
9657 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
9658 Program used to post an article.
9660 @item nnspool-inews-switches
9661 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
9662 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
9664 @item nnspool-spool-directory
9665 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
9666 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
9667 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
9669 @item nnspool-nov-directory
9670 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
9671 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
9672 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
9674 @item nnspool-lib-dir
9675 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
9676 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
9678 @item nnspool-active-file
9679 @vindex nnspool-active-file
9680 The path to the active file.
9682 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
9683 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
9684 The path to the group descriptions file.
9686 @item nnspool-history-file
9687 @vindex nnspool-history-file
9688 The path to the news history file.
9690 @item nnspool-active-times-file
9691 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
9692 The path to the active date file.
9694 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
9695 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
9696 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
9699 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9700 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
9702 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
9703 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
9704 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
9710 @section Getting Mail
9711 @cindex reading mail
9714 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
9718 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
9719 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
9720 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
9721 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
9722 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
9723 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
9724 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
9725 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
9726 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
9727 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
9728 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
9732 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
9733 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
9735 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
9736 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
9737 and things will happen automatically.
9739 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
9740 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
9743 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
9744 '((nnml "private")))
9747 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
9748 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
9749 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
9750 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
9751 like any other group.
9753 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
9756 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9757 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9758 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9762 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
9763 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
9764 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
9767 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
9768 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
9769 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
9772 @node Splitting Mail
9773 @subsection Splitting Mail
9774 @cindex splitting mail
9775 @cindex mail splitting
9777 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
9778 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
9779 to be split into groups.
9782 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9783 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
9784 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
9788 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
9789 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
9790 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
9791 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
9792 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
9793 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
9794 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
9797 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
9800 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
9801 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
9802 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
9803 mail belongs in that group.
9805 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
9806 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
9807 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
9808 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
9809 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
9810 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
9812 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
9813 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
9814 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
9815 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
9816 thinks should carry this mail message.
9818 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
9819 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
9820 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
9821 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
9823 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
9824 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
9825 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
9826 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
9827 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
9829 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
9832 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
9833 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
9834 links. If that's the case for you, set
9835 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
9836 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
9838 @findex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
9839 Header lines may be arbitrarily long. However, the longer a line is,
9840 the longer it takes to match them. Very long lines may lead to Gnus
9841 taking forever to split the mail, so Gnus excludes lines that are longer
9842 than @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} (which defaults to 1024).
9844 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
9845 @kindex nnmail-split-history
9846 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
9847 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
9849 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
9850 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
9851 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
9852 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
9853 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
9854 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
9855 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
9856 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
9861 @subsection Mail Sources
9863 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
9864 POP mail server, or from a procmail directory, for instance.
9867 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
9868 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
9869 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
9873 @node Mail Source Specifiers
9874 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
9881 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by creating a @dfn{mail source
9887 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
9890 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
9891 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
9892 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
9895 The following mail source types are available:
9899 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
9905 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
9906 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
9909 An example file mail source:
9912 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
9915 Or using the default path:
9922 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
9923 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
9929 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
9933 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
9937 An example directory mail source:
9940 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
9945 Get mail from a POP server.
9951 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
9952 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
9955 The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
9958 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
9962 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
9969 @node Mail Source Customization
9970 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
9972 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
9973 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
9977 @item mail-source-movemail-program
9978 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
9979 A command to be executed to move mail from the inbox. The default is
9982 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be
9983 called with two parameters -- the name of the INBOX file, and the file
9986 @item mail-source-movemail-args
9987 @vindex mail-source-movemail-args
9988 Extra arguments to give to the command described above.
9990 @item mail-source-crash-box
9991 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
9992 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
9993 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
9995 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
9996 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
9997 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
9999 @item mail-source-directory
10000 @vindex mail-source-directory
10001 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
10002 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
10003 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
10006 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
10007 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
10008 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
10013 @node Fetching Mail
10014 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
10016 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
10017 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to a list of mail source specifiers
10018 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
10020 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to
10021 fetch mail by themselves.
10023 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
10024 mail server, you'd say something like:
10027 (setq mail-spool-file
10029 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10030 :password "secret")))
10033 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
10036 (setq mail-spool-file
10037 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
10038 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10041 :password "secret")))
10045 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
10046 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
10047 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
10048 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
10049 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
10050 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
10054 @node Mail Backend Variables
10055 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
10057 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
10061 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10062 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10063 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
10064 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
10066 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
10067 @item nnmail-split-hook
10068 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
10069 @findex RFC1522 decoding
10070 @findex RFC2047 decoding
10071 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
10072 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
10073 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
10074 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
10075 in the buffer will show up in any files.
10076 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
10079 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10080 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10081 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10082 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10083 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
10084 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
10085 starting to handle the new mail) and
10086 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
10087 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
10088 default file modes the new mail files get:
10091 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10092 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
10094 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
10095 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
10098 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
10099 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
10100 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
10101 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
10102 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
10103 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
10104 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
10106 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
10107 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
10108 @findex delete-file
10109 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
10111 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10112 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10113 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
10114 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
10115 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
10120 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
10121 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
10122 @cindex mail splitting
10123 @cindex fancy mail splitting
10125 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
10126 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
10127 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
10128 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
10129 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
10130 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
10132 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
10135 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
10136 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
10137 ;; from real errors.
10138 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
10140 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
10141 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
10142 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
10143 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
10144 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
10145 ;; Other mailing lists...
10146 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
10147 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
10149 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
10150 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
10154 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
10155 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
10156 the five possible split syntaxes:
10161 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
10162 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
10166 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
10167 which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
10168 header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
10171 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
10172 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
10173 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
10174 be stored in one or more groups.
10177 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
10178 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
10181 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
10182 this message. Use with extreme caution.
10185 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
10186 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
10187 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
10191 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
10195 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
10196 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
10197 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
10198 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
10199 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
10201 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
10202 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
10203 are expanded as specified by the variable
10204 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
10205 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
10208 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
10209 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
10210 when all this splitting is performed.
10212 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
10213 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
10214 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
10217 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
10220 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
10221 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
10222 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
10223 groupings 1 through 9.
10226 @node Incorporating Old Mail
10227 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
10229 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
10230 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
10231 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
10234 Doing so can be quite easy.
10236 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
10237 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
10238 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
10239 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
10240 your @code{nnml} groups.
10246 Go to the group buffer.
10249 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
10250 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10253 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
10256 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
10257 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
10260 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
10261 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
10264 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
10265 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
10266 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
10267 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
10268 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
10270 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
10271 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
10272 using the new mail backend.
10275 @node Expiring Mail
10276 @subsection Expiring Mail
10277 @cindex article expiry
10279 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
10280 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
10281 different approach to mail reading.
10283 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
10284 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
10285 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
10286 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
10287 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
10288 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
10291 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
10292 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
10293 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
10294 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
10295 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
10296 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
10297 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
10298 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
10300 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
10301 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
10302 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
10303 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
10304 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
10305 column in the summary buffer.
10307 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
10308 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
10309 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
10310 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
10313 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
10315 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
10316 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
10317 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
10320 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
10321 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
10322 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
10323 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
10324 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
10326 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
10327 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
10330 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
10331 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
10334 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
10335 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
10337 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
10338 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
10339 don't really mix very well.
10341 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
10342 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
10343 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
10344 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
10347 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
10348 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
10349 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
10350 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
10353 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
10355 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
10357 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
10359 ((string= group "mail.junk")
10361 ((string= group "important")
10367 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
10368 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
10370 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
10371 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
10372 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
10375 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
10376 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10378 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
10379 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
10380 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
10381 easier for procmail users.
10383 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
10384 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
10385 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
10386 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
10387 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
10388 caution. Even more dangerous is the
10389 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
10390 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
10391 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
10392 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
10393 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
10394 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
10395 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
10398 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
10400 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
10401 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
10402 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
10403 auto-expire turned on.
10407 @subsection Washing Mail
10408 @cindex mail washing
10409 @cindex list server brain damage
10410 @cindex incoming mail treatment
10412 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
10413 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
10414 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
10415 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
10416 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
10417 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
10419 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
10420 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
10421 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
10424 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
10425 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
10426 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
10427 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
10430 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
10431 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
10432 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
10433 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
10434 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
10437 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
10438 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
10439 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
10440 Emacs running on MS machines.
10444 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
10445 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
10446 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
10447 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
10450 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
10451 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
10452 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
10453 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
10455 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
10456 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
10457 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
10458 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
10459 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
10460 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
10461 also be a list of regexp.
10463 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
10464 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
10467 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
10468 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
10471 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
10472 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
10473 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
10477 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10478 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
10479 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
10483 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
10484 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
10485 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
10492 @subsection Duplicates
10494 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
10495 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
10496 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
10497 @cindex duplicate mails
10498 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
10499 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
10500 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
10501 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
10502 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
10503 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
10504 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
10505 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
10506 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
10507 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
10508 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
10509 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
10510 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
10512 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
10513 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
10514 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
10515 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
10517 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
10520 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
10521 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
10525 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
10526 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
10527 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
10528 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
10529 (any mail "mail.misc")
10536 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10537 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
10542 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
10543 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
10544 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
10545 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
10546 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
10549 @node Not Reading Mail
10550 @subsection Not Reading Mail
10552 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
10553 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
10554 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
10556 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
10557 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
10559 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10560 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10561 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10562 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10563 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10564 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
10565 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
10566 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
10567 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
10568 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
10569 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
10571 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
10572 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
10576 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
10577 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
10579 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
10580 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
10581 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
10584 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
10585 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
10586 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
10587 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
10588 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
10592 @node Unix Mail Box
10593 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
10595 @cindex unix mail box
10597 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10598 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10599 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
10600 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
10601 which group it belongs in.
10603 Virtual server settings:
10606 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
10607 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
10608 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
10610 @item nnmbox-active-file
10611 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
10612 The name of the active file for the mail box.
10614 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
10615 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
10616 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
10622 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
10626 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10627 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10628 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
10629 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
10630 article to say which group it belongs in.
10632 Virtual server settings:
10635 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
10636 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
10637 The name of the rmail mbox file.
10639 @item nnbabyl-active-file
10640 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
10641 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
10643 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10644 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
10645 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
10650 @subsubsection Mail Spool
10652 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
10654 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
10655 format. It should be used with some caution.
10657 @vindex nnml-directory
10658 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
10659 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
10660 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
10661 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
10663 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
10666 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
10667 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
10668 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
10669 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
10670 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
10671 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
10672 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
10673 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
10675 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
10676 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
10677 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
10678 backend when it comes to reading mail.
10680 Virtual server settings:
10683 @item nnml-directory
10684 @vindex nnml-directory
10685 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
10687 @item nnml-active-file
10688 @vindex nnml-active-file
10689 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
10691 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
10692 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
10693 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
10696 @item nnml-get-new-mail
10697 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
10698 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
10700 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
10701 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
10702 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
10704 @item nnml-nov-file-name
10705 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
10706 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
10708 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10709 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
10710 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
10714 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
10715 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
10716 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
10717 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
10718 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
10719 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
10720 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
10725 @subsubsection MH Spool
10727 @cindex mh-e mail spool
10729 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
10730 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
10731 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
10732 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
10734 Virtual server settings:
10737 @item nnmh-directory
10738 @vindex nnmh-directory
10739 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
10741 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
10742 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
10743 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
10746 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
10747 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
10748 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
10749 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
10750 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
10751 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
10752 to set this variable to @code{t}.
10757 @subsubsection Mail Folders
10759 @cindex mbox folders
10760 @cindex mail folders
10762 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
10763 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
10764 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
10767 Virtual server settings:
10770 @item nnfolder-directory
10771 @vindex nnfolder-directory
10772 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
10774 @item nnfolder-active-file
10775 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
10776 The name of the active file.
10778 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10779 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
10780 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
10782 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
10783 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
10784 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
10786 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
10787 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
10788 @cindex backup files
10789 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
10790 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
10791 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
10792 your @file{.emacs} file:
10795 (defun turn-off-backup ()
10796 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
10798 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
10801 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
10802 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
10803 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
10804 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
10805 extract some information from it before removing it.
10810 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
10811 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
10812 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
10813 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
10814 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
10815 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
10818 @node Other Sources
10819 @section Other Sources
10821 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
10822 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
10826 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
10827 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
10828 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
10829 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
10830 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
10831 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
10835 @node Directory Groups
10836 @subsection Directory Groups
10838 @cindex directory groups
10840 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
10841 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
10844 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
10845 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
10846 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
10847 backend to read directories. Big deal.
10849 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
10850 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
10851 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
10852 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
10853 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
10855 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
10857 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
10858 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
10859 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
10860 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
10863 @node Anything Groups
10864 @subsection Anything Groups
10867 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
10868 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
10869 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
10872 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
10873 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
10874 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
10875 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
10876 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
10877 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
10878 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
10879 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
10880 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
10881 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
10884 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
10885 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
10886 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
10887 in the article buffer, just as usual.
10889 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
10890 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
10891 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
10892 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
10894 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
10895 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
10896 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
10897 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
10898 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
10899 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
10900 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
10901 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
10906 @item nneething-map-file-directory
10907 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
10908 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
10909 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
10911 @item nneething-exclude-files
10912 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
10913 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
10914 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
10916 @item nneething-include-files
10917 @vindex nneething-include-files
10918 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
10919 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
10921 @item nneething-map-file
10922 @vindex nneething-map-file
10923 Name of the map files.
10927 @node Document Groups
10928 @subsection Document Groups
10930 @cindex documentation group
10933 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
10934 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
10941 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
10946 The standard Unix mbox file.
10948 @cindex MMDF mail box
10950 The MMDF mail box format.
10953 Several news articles appended into a file.
10956 @cindex rnews batch files
10957 The rnews batch transport format.
10958 @cindex forwarded messages
10961 Forwarded articles.
10964 MIME multipart messages, besides digests.
10968 @cindex MIME digest
10969 @cindex 1153 digest
10970 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
10971 @cindex RFC 341 digest
10972 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
10974 @item standard-digest
10975 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
10978 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
10981 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
10982 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
10983 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
10986 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
10987 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
10988 group. And that's it.
10990 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
10991 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
10992 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
10993 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
10994 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
10995 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
10996 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
10997 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
10998 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
10999 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
11001 Virtual server variables:
11004 @item nndoc-article-type
11005 @vindex nndoc-article-type
11006 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
11007 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
11008 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{mime-digest},
11009 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or
11012 @item nndoc-post-type
11013 @vindex nndoc-post-type
11014 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
11015 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
11020 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
11024 @node Document Server Internals
11025 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
11027 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
11028 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
11029 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
11030 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
11032 First, here's an example document type definition:
11036 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
11037 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
11040 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
11041 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
11042 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
11043 types can be defined with very few settings:
11046 @item first-article
11047 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
11048 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
11051 @item article-begin
11052 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
11053 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
11055 @item head-begin-function
11056 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
11059 @item nndoc-head-begin
11060 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
11063 @item nndoc-head-end
11064 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
11065 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
11067 @item body-begin-function
11068 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
11072 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
11075 @item body-end-function
11076 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
11080 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
11083 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
11084 regexp will be totally ignored.
11088 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
11089 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
11090 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
11091 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
11092 something that's palatable for Gnus:
11095 @item prepare-body-function
11096 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
11097 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
11098 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
11100 @item article-transform-function
11101 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
11102 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
11103 body of the article.
11105 @item generate-head-function
11106 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
11107 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
11108 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
11109 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
11113 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
11118 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
11119 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
11120 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
11121 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
11122 (head-end . "^ ?$")
11123 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
11124 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
11125 (subtype digest guess))
11128 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
11129 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
11130 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
11131 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
11132 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
11134 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
11135 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
11136 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
11137 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
11138 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
11139 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
11140 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
11141 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
11142 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
11143 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
11151 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
11152 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
11153 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
11155 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
11156 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
11157 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
11160 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
11161 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
11162 that interested in doing things properly.
11164 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
11165 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
11168 First some terminology:
11173 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
11174 get news and/or mail from.
11177 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
11178 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
11181 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
11185 @item message packets
11186 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
11187 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
11188 default, where @var{X} is a number.
11190 @item response packets
11191 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
11192 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
11193 default, where @var{X} is a number.
11203 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
11204 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
11205 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
11206 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
11209 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
11212 You put the packet in your home directory.
11215 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
11216 the native or secondary server.
11219 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
11220 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
11223 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
11227 You transfer this packet to the server.
11230 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
11233 You then repeat until you die.
11237 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
11238 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
11241 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
11242 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
11243 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
11247 @node SOUP Commands
11248 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
11250 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
11254 @kindex G s b (Group)
11255 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
11256 Pack all unread articles in the current group
11257 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
11258 process/prefix convention.
11261 @kindex G s w (Group)
11262 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
11263 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
11266 @kindex G s s (Group)
11267 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
11268 Send all replies from the replies packet
11269 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
11272 @kindex G s p (Group)
11273 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
11274 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
11277 @kindex G s r (Group)
11278 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
11279 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
11282 @kindex O s (Summary)
11283 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
11284 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
11285 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
11286 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11291 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
11296 @item gnus-soup-directory
11297 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
11298 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
11299 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
11301 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
11302 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
11303 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
11304 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
11306 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
11307 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
11308 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
11309 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
11311 @item gnus-soup-packer
11312 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
11313 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
11314 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
11316 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
11317 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
11318 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
11319 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
11321 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
11322 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
11323 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
11325 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
11326 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
11327 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
11328 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
11334 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
11337 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
11338 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
11339 you can read them at leisure.
11341 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
11345 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
11346 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
11347 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
11348 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
11350 @item nnsoup-directory
11351 @vindex nnsoup-directory
11352 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
11353 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
11355 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
11356 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
11357 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
11358 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
11360 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
11361 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
11362 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
11363 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
11364 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
11366 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
11367 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
11368 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
11369 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
11371 @item nnsoup-active-file
11372 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
11373 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
11374 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
11375 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
11376 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
11378 @item nnsoup-packer
11379 @vindex nnsoup-packer
11380 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
11381 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
11383 @item nnsoup-unpacker
11384 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
11385 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
11386 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
11388 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
11389 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
11390 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
11393 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
11394 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
11395 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
11398 @item nnsoup-always-save
11399 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
11400 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
11406 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
11408 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
11409 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
11410 more for that to happen.
11412 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
11413 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
11414 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
11417 In specific, this is what it does:
11420 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
11421 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
11424 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
11425 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
11426 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
11430 @subsection Web Searches
11434 @cindex InReference
11435 @cindex Usenet searches
11436 @cindex searching the Usenet
11438 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
11439 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
11440 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
11441 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
11442 searches without having to use a browser.
11444 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
11445 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
11446 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
11447 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
11448 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
11450 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
11451 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
11452 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
11453 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
11454 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
11455 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
11456 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
11457 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
11458 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
11459 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
11462 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
11463 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
11464 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'
\e$BsU
\e(Bre} is to
11465 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
11466 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
11467 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
11469 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
11470 to use @code{nnweb}.
11472 Virtual server variables:
11477 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
11478 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
11482 @vindex nnweb-search
11483 The search string to feed to the search engine.
11485 @item nnweb-max-hits
11486 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
11487 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
11490 @item nnweb-type-definition
11491 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
11492 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
11493 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
11498 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
11502 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
11505 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
11508 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
11512 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
11519 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
11520 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
11521 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
11524 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
11525 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
11526 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
11528 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
11534 @item nngateway-address
11535 @vindex nngateway-address
11536 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
11538 @item nngateway-header-transformation
11539 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
11540 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
11541 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
11542 transformation should be called, and defaults to
11543 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
11544 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
11547 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
11548 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
11549 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
11552 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
11555 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
11558 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
11561 The following pre-defined functions exist:
11563 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11566 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
11567 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11568 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
11570 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11572 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
11573 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
11574 @code{nngateway-address}.
11579 (setq gnus-post-method
11580 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
11581 (nngateway-header-transformation
11582 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
11590 So, to use this, simply say something like:
11593 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
11597 @node Combined Groups
11598 @section Combined Groups
11600 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
11604 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
11605 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
11609 @node Virtual Groups
11610 @subsection Virtual Groups
11612 @cindex virtual groups
11613 @cindex merging groups
11615 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
11618 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
11619 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
11620 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
11622 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
11623 regexp to match component groups.
11625 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
11626 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
11627 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
11628 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
11629 the virtual group.)
11631 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
11632 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
11635 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
11638 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
11639 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
11641 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
11642 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
11643 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
11644 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
11647 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
11650 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
11651 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
11652 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
11654 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
11655 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
11656 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
11657 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
11658 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
11660 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
11661 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
11662 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
11664 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
11665 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
11666 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
11667 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
11668 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
11669 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
11670 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
11671 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
11672 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
11673 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
11674 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
11676 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
11677 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
11678 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
11679 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
11680 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
11681 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
11682 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
11684 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
11685 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
11689 @node Kibozed Groups
11690 @subsection Kibozed Groups
11694 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
11695 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
11696 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
11697 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
11699 @kindex G k (Group)
11700 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
11703 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
11704 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
11705 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
11706 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
11708 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
11709 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
11710 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
11712 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
11713 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
11714 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
11715 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
11716 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
11717 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
11718 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
11719 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
11721 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
11722 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
11723 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
11724 Stranger things have happened.
11726 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
11727 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
11729 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
11730 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
11731 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
11732 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
11733 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
11734 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
11736 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
11737 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
11740 @node Gnus Unplugged
11741 @section Gnus Unplugged
11746 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
11748 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
11749 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
11750 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
11751 read news. Believe it or not.
11753 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
11754 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
11755 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
11756 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
11757 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
11759 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
11760 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
11761 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
11762 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
11763 reading news on a machine.
11765 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
11769 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
11770 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
11774 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
11775 @file{.gnus.el} file:
11782 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
11784 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
11787 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
11788 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
11789 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
11790 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
11791 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
11792 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
11793 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
11794 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
11795 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
11800 @subsection Agent Basics
11802 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
11804 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
11805 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
11806 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
11807 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
11809 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
11810 connected to the net continuously.
11812 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
11813 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
11815 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
11820 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
11821 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
11822 already fetched while in this mode.
11825 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
11826 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
11827 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
11830 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
11831 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
11832 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
11833 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
11836 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
11837 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
11838 then you read the news offline.
11841 And then you go to step 2.
11844 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
11850 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
11851 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
11852 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
11853 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
11854 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
11855 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
11858 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
11865 @node Agent Categories
11866 @subsection Agent Categories
11868 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
11869 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
11870 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
11871 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
11872 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
11873 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
11874 you're interested in the articles anyway.
11876 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
11877 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
11878 Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories.
11881 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
11882 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
11883 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
11887 @node Category Syntax
11888 @subsubsection Category Syntax
11890 A category consists of two things.
11894 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
11895 are eligible for downloading; and
11898 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
11899 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
11900 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
11903 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
11904 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
11905 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
11906 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
11908 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
11909 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
11910 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
11912 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
11913 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
11914 operators sprinkled in between.
11916 Perhaps some examples are in order.
11918 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
11919 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
11925 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
11926 short (for some value of ``short'').
11928 Here's a more complex predicate:
11937 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
11938 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
11941 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
11942 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
11943 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
11945 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
11946 you want to do, you can write your own.
11950 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
11951 lines; default 100.
11954 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
11955 lines; default 200.
11958 True iff the article has a download score less than
11959 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
11962 True iff the article has a download score greater than
11963 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
11966 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
11967 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
11968 checksum and sees whether articles match.
11977 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
11978 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
11979 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
11982 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
11983 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
11984 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
11985 something along the lines of the following:
11988 (defun my-article-old-p ()
11989 "Say whether an article is old."
11990 (< (time-to-day (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
11991 (- (time-to-day (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
11994 with the predicate then defined as:
11997 (not my-article-old-p)
12000 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
12001 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
12002 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
12003 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
12006 (defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
12007 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
12008 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
12011 and simply specify your predicate as:
12017 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
12018 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
12019 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
12020 just don't give a damm.
12023 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
12024 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
12025 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
12026 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
12027 parameters like so:
12030 (agent-predicate . short)
12033 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category
12034 default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this,
12035 the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair
12038 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
12041 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
12044 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
12045 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
12046 predicate is assumed to be a list.
12049 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
12050 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
12051 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
12052 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
12053 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
12054 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
12056 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
12057 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
12058 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
12059 if it's to be specific to that group.
12061 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
12068 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
12069 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
12075 Category specification
12079 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
12085 Group Parameter specification
12088 (agent-score ("from"
12089 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
12094 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
12100 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
12107 Category specification
12110 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
12116 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
12120 Group Parameter specification
12123 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
12126 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
12131 Use @code{normal} score files
12133 If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
12134 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
12135 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
12136 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
12138 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
12139 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
12140 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
12141 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
12145 Category Specification
12152 Group Parameter specification
12155 (agent-score . file)
12160 @node The Category Buffer
12161 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
12163 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
12164 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
12165 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
12167 The following commands are available in this buffer:
12171 @kindex q (Category)
12172 @findex gnus-category-exit
12173 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
12176 @kindex k (Category)
12177 @findex gnus-category-kill
12178 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
12181 @kindex c (Category)
12182 @findex gnus-category-copy
12183 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
12186 @kindex a (Category)
12187 @findex gnus-category-add
12188 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
12191 @kindex p (Category)
12192 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
12193 Edit the predicate of the current category
12194 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
12197 @kindex g (Category)
12198 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
12199 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
12200 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
12203 @kindex s (Category)
12204 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
12205 Edit the download score rule of the current category
12206 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
12209 @kindex l (Category)
12210 @findex gnus-category-list
12211 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
12215 @node Category Variables
12216 @subsubsection Category Variables
12219 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
12220 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
12221 Hook run in category buffers.
12223 @item gnus-category-line-format
12224 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
12225 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
12226 Variables}). Valid elements are:
12230 The name of the category.
12233 The number of groups in the category.
12236 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
12237 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
12238 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
12240 @item gnus-agent-short-article
12241 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
12242 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
12244 @item gnus-agent-long-article
12245 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
12246 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
12248 @item gnus-agent-low-score
12249 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
12250 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
12253 @item gnus-agent-high-score
12254 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
12255 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
12261 @node Agent Commands
12262 @subsection Agent Commands
12264 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
12265 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
12266 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
12270 * Group Agent Commands::
12271 * Summary Agent Commands::
12272 * Server Agent Commands::
12275 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
12276 following incantation:
12278 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
12280 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
12285 @node Group Agent Commands
12286 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
12290 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
12291 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
12292 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
12293 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
12296 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
12297 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
12298 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
12301 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
12302 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
12303 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
12304 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
12307 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
12308 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
12309 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
12310 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts}.
12313 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
12314 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
12315 Add the current group to an Agent category
12316 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
12317 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
12320 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
12321 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
12322 Remove the current group from its category, if any
12323 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
12324 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
12329 @node Summary Agent Commands
12330 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
12334 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
12335 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
12336 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
12339 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
12340 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
12341 Remove the downloading mark from the article
12342 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
12345 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
12346 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
12347 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
12350 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
12351 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
12352 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
12357 @node Server Agent Commands
12358 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
12362 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
12363 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
12364 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
12365 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
12368 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
12369 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
12370 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
12371 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
12377 @subsection Agent Expiry
12379 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
12380 @findex gnus-agent-expire
12381 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
12382 @cindex Agent expiry
12383 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
12386 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
12387 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
12388 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
12389 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
12390 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
12391 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
12393 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
12394 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
12395 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
12396 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
12397 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
12400 @node Outgoing Messages
12401 @subsection Outgoing Messages
12403 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
12404 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
12405 after posting, and edit them at will.
12407 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
12408 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
12409 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
12410 messages in the draft group.
12414 @node Agent Variables
12415 @subsection Agent Variables
12418 @item gnus-agent-directory
12419 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
12420 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
12421 @file{~/News/agent/}.
12423 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
12424 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
12425 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
12426 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
12427 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
12430 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
12431 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
12432 Hook run when connecting to the network.
12434 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
12435 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
12436 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
12441 @node Example Setup
12442 @subsection Example Setup
12444 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
12445 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
12446 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
12449 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
12450 ;;; from your ISP's server.
12451 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "nntp.your-isp.com"))
12453 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
12454 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
12455 (setenv "MAILHOST" "pop.your-isp.com")
12456 (setq nnmail-spool-file "po:username")
12458 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
12459 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12461 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
12465 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
12466 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
12469 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
12470 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
12471 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
12472 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
12473 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
12476 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
12477 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
12478 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
12479 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
12480 back all the killed groups.)
12482 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
12483 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
12484 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
12487 @node Batching Agents
12488 @subsection Batching Agents
12490 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
12491 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
12492 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
12496 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
12500 @node Agent Caveats
12501 @subsection Agent Caveats
12503 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
12504 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
12508 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
12513 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
12514 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
12520 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
12521 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
12528 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
12529 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
12530 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
12533 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
12534 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
12535 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
12536 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
12537 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
12539 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
12540 before generating the summary buffer.
12542 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
12543 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
12544 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
12546 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
12547 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
12548 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
12549 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
12552 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
12553 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
12554 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
12555 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
12556 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
12557 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
12558 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
12559 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
12560 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
12561 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
12562 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
12563 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
12564 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
12565 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
12566 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
12567 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
12571 @node Summary Score Commands
12572 @section Summary Score Commands
12573 @cindex score commands
12575 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
12576 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
12577 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
12578 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
12579 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
12581 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
12582 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
12583 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
12584 score file the current one.
12586 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
12591 @kindex V s (Summary)
12592 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
12593 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
12596 @kindex V S (Summary)
12597 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
12598 Display the score of the current article
12599 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
12602 @kindex V t (Summary)
12603 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
12604 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
12605 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
12608 @kindex V R (Summary)
12609 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
12610 Run the current summary through the scoring process
12611 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
12612 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
12613 effect you're having.
12616 @kindex V c (Summary)
12617 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
12618 Make a different score file the current
12619 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
12622 @kindex V e (Summary)
12623 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
12624 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
12625 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
12629 @kindex V f (Summary)
12630 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
12631 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
12632 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
12635 @kindex V F (Summary)
12636 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
12637 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
12638 after editing score files.
12641 @kindex V C (Summary)
12642 @findex gnus-score-customize
12643 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
12644 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
12648 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
12653 @kindex V m (Summary)
12654 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
12655 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
12656 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
12659 @kindex V x (Summary)
12660 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
12661 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
12662 expunge all articles below this score
12663 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
12666 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
12667 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
12670 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
12671 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
12675 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
12676 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
12678 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
12679 keys are available:
12683 Score on the author name.
12686 Score on the subject line.
12689 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
12692 Score on the References line.
12698 Score on the number of lines.
12701 Score on the Message-ID.
12704 Score on followups.
12718 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
12719 what headers you are scoring on.
12731 Substring matching.
12734 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
12763 Greater than number.
12768 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
12769 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
12770 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
12774 Temporary score entry.
12777 Permanent score entry.
12780 Immediately scoring.
12785 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
12786 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
12787 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
12788 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
12790 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
12791 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
12792 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
12793 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
12794 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
12796 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
12797 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
12798 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
12799 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
12800 current score file.
12802 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
12803 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
12804 pretend they are keymaps or not.
12807 @node Group Score Commands
12808 @section Group Score Commands
12809 @cindex group score commands
12811 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
12816 @kindex W f (Group)
12817 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
12818 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
12819 all the time. This command will flush the cache
12820 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
12824 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
12826 @findex gnus-batch-score
12827 @cindex batch scoring
12829 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
12833 @node Score Variables
12834 @section Score Variables
12835 @cindex score variables
12839 @item gnus-use-scoring
12840 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
12841 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
12842 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
12844 @item gnus-kill-killed
12845 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
12846 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
12847 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
12848 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
12849 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
12850 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
12851 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
12853 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
12854 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
12855 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
12856 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
12857 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
12859 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
12860 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
12861 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
12862 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
12864 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12865 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
12866 @cindex score cache
12867 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
12868 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
12869 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
12870 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
12871 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
12872 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
12875 @item gnus-save-score
12876 @vindex gnus-save-score
12877 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
12878 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
12879 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
12881 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12882 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
12883 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
12884 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
12885 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
12886 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
12887 manually entered data.
12889 @item gnus-summary-default-score
12890 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
12891 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
12893 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
12894 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
12895 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
12896 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
12897 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
12898 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
12900 @item gnus-score-over-mark
12901 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
12902 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
12903 default. Default is @samp{+}.
12905 @item gnus-score-below-mark
12906 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
12907 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
12908 default. Default is @samp{-}.
12910 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12911 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
12912 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
12913 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
12915 Predefined functions available are:
12918 @item gnus-score-find-single
12919 @findex gnus-score-find-single
12920 Only apply the group's own score file.
12922 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
12923 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
12924 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
12925 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
12926 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
12927 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
12928 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
12929 then a regexp match is done.
12931 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
12932 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
12934 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
12935 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
12936 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
12937 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
12939 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12940 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
12941 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
12942 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
12943 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
12946 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
12947 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
12948 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
12949 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
12950 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
12951 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
12954 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
12955 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
12956 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
12957 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
12958 are expired. It's 7 by default.
12960 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12961 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
12962 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
12963 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
12964 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
12965 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
12966 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
12969 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12970 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
12971 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
12973 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
12974 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
12975 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
12976 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
12977 threading---according to the current value of
12978 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
12979 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
12980 simplified in this manner.
12985 @node Score File Format
12986 @section Score File Format
12987 @cindex score file format
12989 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
12990 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
12991 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
12993 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
12997 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
12999 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
13001 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
13003 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
13008 (mark-and-expunge -10)
13012 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
13013 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
13014 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
13015 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
13019 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
13020 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
13022 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
13023 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
13024 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
13026 Six keys are supported by this alist:
13031 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
13032 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
13033 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
13034 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
13035 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
13036 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
13037 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
13038 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
13039 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
13040 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
13041 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
13042 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
13043 to articles that matches these score entries.
13045 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
13046 score entry has one to four elements.
13050 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
13051 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
13055 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
13056 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
13057 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
13058 is successful. If this element is not present, the
13059 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
13060 instead. This is 1000 by default.
13063 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
13064 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
13065 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
13066 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
13067 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
13070 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
13071 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
13072 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
13073 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
13076 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
13077 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
13078 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
13079 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
13080 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
13081 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
13082 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
13083 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
13084 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
13085 instead, if you feel like.
13088 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
13089 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
13091 These predicates are true if
13094 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
13097 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
13098 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
13105 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
13106 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
13107 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
13108 it's not. I think.)
13110 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
13111 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
13112 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
13113 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
13116 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
13117 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
13118 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
13119 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
13120 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
13121 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
13122 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
13126 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
13127 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
13128 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
13129 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
13130 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
13131 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
13132 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
13133 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
13136 @item Head, Body, All
13137 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
13141 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
13142 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
13143 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
13144 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
13145 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
13146 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
13147 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
13151 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
13152 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
13153 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
13154 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
13155 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
13156 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
13157 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
13158 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
13159 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
13160 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
13164 @cindex Score File Atoms
13166 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
13167 lower than this number will be marked as read.
13170 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
13171 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
13173 @item mark-and-expunge
13174 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
13175 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
13178 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
13179 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
13180 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
13181 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
13182 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
13185 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
13186 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
13189 @item exclude-files
13190 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
13191 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
13195 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
13196 ignored when handling global score files.
13199 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
13200 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
13201 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
13202 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
13205 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
13206 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
13207 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
13208 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
13210 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
13214 (mark-and-expunge -100)
13217 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
13218 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
13219 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
13220 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
13221 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
13223 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
13224 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
13225 ordinary scoring rules.
13228 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
13229 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
13230 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
13231 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
13232 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
13233 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
13234 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
13235 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
13236 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
13237 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
13238 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
13242 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
13243 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
13244 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
13245 file for a number of groups.
13248 @cindex local variables
13249 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
13250 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
13251 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
13252 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
13253 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
13257 @node Score File Editing
13258 @section Score File Editing
13260 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
13261 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
13262 with a mode for that.
13264 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
13265 additional commands:
13270 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
13271 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
13272 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
13273 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
13276 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
13277 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
13278 Insert the current date in numerical format
13279 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
13280 you were wondering.
13283 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
13284 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
13285 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
13286 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
13287 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
13292 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
13294 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
13295 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
13297 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
13298 e} to begin editing score files.
13301 @node Adaptive Scoring
13302 @section Adaptive Scoring
13303 @cindex adaptive scoring
13305 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
13306 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
13307 stupidity, to be precise.
13309 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
13310 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
13311 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
13312 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
13313 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
13314 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
13315 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
13316 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
13317 variable to @code{(word line)}.
13319 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
13320 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
13321 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
13322 might look something like this:
13325 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
13326 '((gnus-unread-mark)
13327 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
13328 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
13329 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
13330 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
13331 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
13332 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
13333 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
13334 (gnus-ancient-mark)
13335 (gnus-low-score-mark)
13336 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
13339 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
13340 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
13341 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
13342 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
13343 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
13344 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
13347 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
13348 will be applied to each article.
13350 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
13351 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
13352 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
13353 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
13355 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
13356 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
13357 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
13358 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
13360 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
13361 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
13362 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
13363 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
13365 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
13366 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
13367 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
13368 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
13369 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
13370 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
13372 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
13373 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
13374 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
13375 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
13376 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
13377 aspirins afterwards.)
13379 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
13380 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
13381 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
13383 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
13384 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
13385 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
13387 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
13388 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
13389 let you use different rules in different groups.
13391 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
13392 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
13393 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
13396 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
13397 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
13398 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
13399 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
13400 the length of the match is less than
13401 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
13402 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
13405 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
13406 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
13407 headers. If you adapt on words, the
13408 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
13409 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
13412 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
13413 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
13414 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
13415 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
13416 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
13419 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
13420 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
13421 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
13422 score with 30 points.
13424 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
13425 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
13426 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
13427 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
13428 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
13430 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
13431 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
13432 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
13433 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
13435 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
13436 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
13437 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
13438 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
13440 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
13441 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
13442 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
13443 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
13444 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
13446 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
13447 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
13448 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
13450 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
13451 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
13452 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
13453 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
13456 @node Home Score File
13457 @section Home Score File
13459 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
13460 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
13461 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
13462 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
13464 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
13465 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
13466 could perhaps use the same home score file.
13468 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
13469 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
13474 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
13478 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
13479 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
13483 A list. The elements in this list can be:
13487 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
13488 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
13491 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
13492 the home score file.
13495 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
13498 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
13503 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
13506 (setq gnus-home-score-file
13507 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
13510 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
13511 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
13513 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
13515 (setq gnus-home-score-file
13516 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
13519 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
13520 Other functions include
13523 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
13524 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
13525 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
13526 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
13530 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
13531 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
13532 their own home score files:
13535 (setq gnus-home-score-file
13536 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
13537 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
13538 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
13539 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
13542 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
13543 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
13544 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
13545 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
13546 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
13548 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
13549 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
13550 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
13551 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
13552 precedence over this variable.
13555 @node Followups To Yourself
13556 @section Followups To Yourself
13558 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
13559 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
13560 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
13561 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
13562 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
13563 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
13567 @item gnus-score-followup-article
13568 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
13569 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
13572 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
13573 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
13574 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
13578 @vindex message-sent-hook
13579 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
13580 @code{message-sent-hook}.
13582 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
13583 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
13587 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
13588 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
13591 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
13592 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
13597 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
13601 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
13602 is system-dependent.
13606 @section Scoring Tips
13607 @cindex scoring tips
13613 @cindex scoring crossposts
13614 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
13615 the @code{Xref} header.
13617 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
13620 @item Multiple crossposts
13621 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
13622 more than, say, 3 groups:
13624 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
13627 @item Matching on the body
13628 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
13629 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
13630 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
13631 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
13632 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
13633 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
13634 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
13637 @item Marking as read
13638 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
13639 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
13640 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
13644 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
13646 @item Negated character classes
13647 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
13648 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
13649 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
13653 @node Reverse Scoring
13654 @section Reverse Scoring
13655 @cindex reverse scoring
13657 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
13658 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
13659 like this in your score file:
13663 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
13668 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
13669 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
13672 @node Global Score Files
13673 @section Global Score Files
13674 @cindex global score files
13676 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
13677 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
13678 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
13680 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
13681 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
13682 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
13684 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
13685 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
13686 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
13687 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
13688 files are applicable to which group.
13690 Say you want to use the score file
13691 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
13692 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
13695 (setq gnus-global-score-files
13696 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
13697 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
13700 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
13701 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
13702 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
13703 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
13704 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
13706 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
13707 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
13709 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
13710 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
13711 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
13712 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
13713 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
13714 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
13716 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
13722 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
13724 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
13726 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
13728 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
13729 lowered out of existence.
13731 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
13732 articles completely.
13735 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
13736 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
13737 old articles for a long time.
13740 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
13741 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
13742 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
13743 holding our breath yet?
13747 @section Kill Files
13750 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
13751 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
13752 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
13754 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
13755 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
13756 files into score files.
13758 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
13759 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
13760 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
13761 that isn't a very good idea.
13763 Normal kill files look like this:
13766 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13767 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
13771 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
13772 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
13774 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
13775 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
13778 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
13783 @kindex M-k (Summary)
13784 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
13785 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
13788 @kindex M-K (Summary)
13789 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
13790 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
13793 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
13798 @kindex M-k (Group)
13799 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
13800 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
13803 @kindex M-K (Group)
13804 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
13805 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
13808 Kill file variables:
13811 @item gnus-kill-file-name
13812 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
13813 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
13814 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
13815 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
13816 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
13817 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
13819 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13820 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
13821 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
13822 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
13825 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
13826 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
13827 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
13828 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
13829 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
13830 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
13831 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
13832 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
13833 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
13835 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13836 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
13837 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
13842 @node Converting Kill Files
13843 @section Converting Kill Files
13845 @cindex converting kill files
13847 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
13848 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
13849 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
13852 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
13853 You can fetch it from
13854 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
13856 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
13857 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
13858 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
13866 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
13867 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
13868 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
13870 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
13871 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
13872 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
13873 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
13874 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
13875 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
13876 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
13877 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
13881 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
13882 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
13883 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
13884 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
13888 @node Using GroupLens
13889 @subsection Using GroupLens
13891 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
13893 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
13894 better bit in town at the moment.
13896 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
13900 @item gnus-use-grouplens
13901 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
13902 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
13903 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
13905 @item grouplens-pseudonym
13906 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
13907 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
13908 with the Better Bit Bureau.
13910 @item grouplens-newsgroups
13911 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
13912 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
13916 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
13917 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
13918 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
13919 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
13920 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
13921 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
13924 @node Rating Articles
13925 @subsection Rating Articles
13927 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
13928 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
13929 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
13930 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
13933 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
13938 @kindex r (GroupLens)
13939 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
13940 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
13943 @kindex k (GroupLens)
13944 @findex grouplens-score-thread
13945 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
13946 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
13947 threads in rec.humor.
13951 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
13952 the score of the article you're reading.
13957 @kindex n (GroupLens)
13958 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
13959 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
13962 @kindex , (GroupLens)
13963 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
13964 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
13968 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
13969 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
13972 @node Displaying Predictions
13973 @subsection Displaying Predictions
13975 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
13976 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
13977 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
13978 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
13979 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
13981 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
13982 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
13983 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
13984 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
13985 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
13986 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
13987 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
13988 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
13989 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
13990 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
13991 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
13992 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
13993 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
13995 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
13996 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
13997 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
13998 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
14000 The following are valid values for that variable.
14003 @item prediction-spot
14004 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
14007 @item confidence-interval
14008 A numeric confidence interval.
14010 @item prediction-bar
14011 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
14013 @item confidence-bar
14014 Numerical confidence.
14016 @item confidence-spot
14017 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
14019 @item prediction-num
14020 Plain-old numeric value.
14022 @item confidence-plus-minus
14023 Prediction +/- confidence.
14028 @node GroupLens Variables
14029 @subsection GroupLens Variables
14033 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
14034 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
14035 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
14036 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
14039 @item grouplens-bbb-host
14040 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
14043 @item grouplens-bbb-port
14044 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
14046 @item grouplens-score-offset
14047 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
14048 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
14051 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
14052 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
14053 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
14058 @node Advanced Scoring
14059 @section Advanced Scoring
14061 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
14062 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
14063 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
14064 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
14065 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
14067 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
14071 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
14072 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
14073 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
14077 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
14078 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
14080 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
14081 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
14082 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
14083 non-@code{nil} value.
14085 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
14086 operator, and various match operators.
14093 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
14094 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
14095 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
14100 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
14101 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
14102 then this operator will return @code{false}.
14107 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
14108 logical negation of the value of its argument.
14112 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
14113 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
14114 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
14115 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
14116 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
14117 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
14118 the ancestry you want to go.
14120 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
14121 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
14122 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
14123 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
14124 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
14127 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
14128 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
14130 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
14131 when he's talking about Gnus:
14135 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14136 ("subject" "Gnus"))
14142 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
14146 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14153 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
14154 really don't want to read what he's written:
14158 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14159 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
14163 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
14164 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
14165 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
14172 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
14173 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
14174 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
14175 ("body" "white.*socks"))
14179 The possibilities are endless.
14182 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
14183 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
14185 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
14186 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
14187 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
14188 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
14189 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
14190 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
14191 @samp{subject}) first.
14193 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
14194 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
14205 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
14206 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
14212 ("subject" "Gnus")))
14219 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
14220 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
14225 @section Score Decays
14226 @cindex score decays
14229 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
14230 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
14231 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
14232 use them in any sensible way.
14234 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
14235 @findex gnus-decay-score
14236 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
14237 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
14238 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
14239 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
14240 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
14241 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
14242 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
14243 definition of that function:
14246 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
14248 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
14249 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
14252 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
14254 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
14256 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
14259 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
14260 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
14261 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
14262 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
14266 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
14269 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
14272 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
14276 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
14277 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
14278 the new score, which should be an integer.
14280 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
14281 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
14288 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
14289 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
14290 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
14291 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
14292 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
14293 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
14294 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
14295 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
14296 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
14297 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
14298 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
14299 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
14300 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
14301 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
14302 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
14303 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
14304 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
14305 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
14309 @node Process/Prefix
14310 @section Process/Prefix
14311 @cindex process/prefix convention
14313 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
14314 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
14316 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
14317 command to be performed on.
14321 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
14322 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
14323 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
14324 with the current one.
14326 @vindex transient-mark-mode
14327 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
14328 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
14330 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
14331 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
14334 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
14335 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
14337 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
14340 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
14341 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
14342 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
14343 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14345 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
14346 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
14347 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
14348 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
14349 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
14350 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
14351 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
14352 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
14356 @section Interactive
14357 @cindex interaction
14361 @item gnus-novice-user
14362 @vindex gnus-novice-user
14363 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
14364 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
14365 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
14366 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
14369 @item gnus-expert-user
14370 @vindex gnus-expert-user
14371 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
14372 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
14373 matter how strange.
14375 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
14376 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
14377 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
14378 is @code{t} by default.
14380 @item gnus-interactive-exit
14381 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
14382 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
14387 @node Symbolic Prefixes
14388 @section Symbolic Prefixes
14389 @cindex symbolic prefixes
14391 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
14392 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
14393 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
14394 rule of 900 to the current article.
14396 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
14397 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
14398 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
14399 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
14400 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
14401 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
14402 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
14404 @kindex M-i (Summary)
14405 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
14406 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
14407 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
14408 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
14409 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
14410 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
14411 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
14412 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
14414 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
14415 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
14416 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
14418 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
14422 @node Formatting Variables
14423 @section Formatting Variables
14424 @cindex formatting variables
14426 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
14427 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
14428 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
14429 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
14430 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
14433 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
14434 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
14435 lots of percentages everywhere.
14438 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
14439 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
14440 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
14441 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
14442 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
14445 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
14446 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
14447 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
14448 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
14449 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
14450 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
14451 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
14452 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
14454 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
14455 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
14457 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
14458 @findex gnus-update-format
14459 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
14460 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
14461 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
14462 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
14466 @node Formatting Basics
14467 @subsection Formatting Basics
14469 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
14470 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
14471 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
14473 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
14474 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
14475 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
14476 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
14477 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
14480 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
14481 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
14482 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
14483 less than 4 characters wide.
14486 @node Mode Line Formatting
14487 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
14489 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
14490 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
14491 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
14492 with the following two differences:
14497 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
14500 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
14501 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
14502 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
14503 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
14504 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
14505 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
14506 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
14511 @node Advanced Formatting
14512 @subsection Advanced Formatting
14514 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
14515 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
14516 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
14517 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
14519 These are the valid modifiers:
14524 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
14528 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
14533 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
14536 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
14541 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
14544 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
14547 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
14550 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
14554 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
14555 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
14556 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
14557 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
14558 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
14559 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
14560 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
14562 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
14563 last operation, padding.
14565 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
14566 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
14567 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
14568 @xref{Compilation}.
14571 @node User-Defined Specs
14572 @subsection User-Defined Specs
14574 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
14575 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
14576 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
14577 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
14578 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
14579 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
14580 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
14581 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
14582 should protect against that.
14584 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
14585 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
14586 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
14587 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
14591 @node Formatting Fonts
14592 @subsection Formatting Fonts
14594 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
14595 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
14596 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
14597 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
14600 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
14601 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
14602 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
14603 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
14604 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
14605 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
14607 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
14608 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say
14609 @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
14610 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
14611 symbols naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
14612 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
14613 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
14614 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
14616 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
14619 ;; Create three face types.
14620 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
14621 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
14623 ;; We want the article count to be in
14624 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
14625 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
14626 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
14628 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
14629 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
14631 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
14632 (setq gnus-group-line-format
14633 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
14636 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
14637 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
14639 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
14640 mode-line variables.
14643 @node Windows Configuration
14644 @section Windows Configuration
14645 @cindex windows configuration
14647 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
14649 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
14650 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
14651 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
14652 @code{t} by default.
14654 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
14655 glitches. Use at your own peril.
14657 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
14658 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
14659 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
14662 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
14663 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
14664 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
14668 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
14669 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
14670 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
14671 possible names is listed below.
14673 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
14674 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
14677 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
14681 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
14682 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
14683 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
14684 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
14685 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
14686 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
14687 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
14688 size spec per split.
14690 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
14691 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
14692 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
14693 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
14694 present) gets focus.
14696 Here's a more complicated example:
14699 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
14700 (summary 0.25 point)
14701 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
14705 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
14706 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
14707 occupy, not a percentage.
14709 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
14710 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
14711 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
14712 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
14713 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
14716 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
14719 (article (horizontal 1.0
14724 (summary 0.25 point)
14729 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
14730 @code{horizontal} thingie?
14732 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
14733 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
14734 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
14735 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
14736 the screen is to be given to this strip.
14738 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
14739 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
14740 lines from the splits.
14742 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
14746 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
14747 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
14748 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
14749 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
14750 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
14751 size = number | frame-params
14752 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
14755 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
14756 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
14757 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
14758 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
14760 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
14761 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
14762 @cindex window height
14763 @cindex window width
14764 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
14765 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
14766 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
14767 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
14768 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
14769 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
14771 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
14772 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
14773 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
14774 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
14776 @findex gnus-configure-frame
14777 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
14778 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
14779 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
14780 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
14781 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
14782 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
14783 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
14784 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
14785 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
14786 configuration list.
14789 (gnus-configure-frame
14793 (article 0.3 point))
14801 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
14802 @code{frame} split:
14805 (gnus-configure-frame
14808 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
14810 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
14811 (user-position . t)
14812 (left . -1) (top . 1))
14817 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
14818 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
14819 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
14820 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
14821 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
14822 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
14823 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
14824 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
14826 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
14827 be found in its default value.
14829 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
14830 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
14831 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
14835 (message (horizontal 1.0
14836 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
14838 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
14843 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
14844 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
14845 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
14848 (message (frame 1.0
14849 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
14850 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
14851 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
14852 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
14853 (name . "Message"))
14854 (message 1.0 point))))
14857 @findex gnus-add-configuration
14858 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
14859 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
14860 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
14861 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
14864 (gnus-add-configuration
14865 '(article (vertical 1.0
14867 (summary .25 point)
14871 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
14872 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
14873 Gnus has been loaded.
14875 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
14876 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
14877 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
14878 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
14879 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
14881 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
14882 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
14883 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
14887 @node Faces and Fonts
14888 @section Faces and Fonts
14893 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
14894 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
14895 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
14900 @section Compilation
14901 @cindex compilation
14902 @cindex byte-compilation
14904 @findex gnus-compile
14906 Remember all those line format specification variables?
14907 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
14908 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
14909 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
14910 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
14911 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
14914 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
14915 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
14916 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
14917 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
14918 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
14919 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
14920 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
14924 @section Mode Lines
14927 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
14928 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
14929 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
14930 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
14931 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
14932 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
14933 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
14936 @cindex display-time
14938 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
14939 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
14940 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
14941 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
14942 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
14943 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
14944 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
14945 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
14948 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
14950 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
14951 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
14953 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
14954 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
14955 (length display-time-string)))))
14958 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
14959 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
14960 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
14961 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
14962 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
14965 @node Highlighting and Menus
14966 @section Highlighting and Menus
14968 @cindex highlighting
14971 @vindex gnus-visual
14972 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
14973 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
14974 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
14977 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
14978 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
14981 @item group-highlight
14982 Do highlights in the group buffer.
14983 @item summary-highlight
14984 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
14985 @item article-highlight
14986 Do highlights in the article buffer.
14988 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
14990 Create menus in the group buffer.
14992 Create menus in the summary buffers.
14994 Create menus in the article buffer.
14996 Create menus in the browse buffer.
14998 Create menus in the server buffer.
15000 Create menus in the score buffers.
15002 Create menus in all buffers.
15005 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
15006 buffers, you could say something like:
15009 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
15012 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
15015 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
15018 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
15019 in all Gnus buffers.
15021 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
15024 @item gnus-mouse-face
15025 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
15026 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
15027 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
15031 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
15035 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
15036 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
15037 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
15039 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
15040 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
15041 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
15043 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
15044 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
15045 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
15047 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
15048 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
15049 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
15051 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
15052 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
15053 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
15055 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
15056 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
15057 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
15068 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
15069 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
15070 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
15071 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
15072 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
15076 @vindex gnus-carpal
15077 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
15078 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
15079 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
15084 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
15085 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
15086 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
15088 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
15089 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
15090 Face used on buttons.
15092 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
15093 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
15094 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
15096 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
15097 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
15098 Buttons in the group buffer.
15100 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
15101 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
15102 Buttons in the summary buffer.
15104 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
15105 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
15106 Buttons in the server buffer.
15108 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
15109 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
15110 Buttons in the browse buffer.
15113 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
15114 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
15115 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
15123 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
15124 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
15125 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
15126 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
15127 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
15129 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
15130 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
15131 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
15133 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
15134 been idle for thirty minutes:
15137 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
15140 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
15144 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
15147 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
15148 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
15149 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
15151 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
15152 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
15153 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
15154 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
15156 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
15157 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
15158 @var{idle} minutes.
15160 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
15161 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
15164 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
15165 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
15166 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
15168 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
15169 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
15170 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
15171 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
15173 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
15174 your @file{.gnus} file:
15176 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
15178 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
15181 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
15182 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
15183 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
15184 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
15185 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
15186 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
15187 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
15188 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
15189 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
15190 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
15191 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
15193 @findex gnus-demon-init
15194 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
15195 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
15196 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
15197 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
15198 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
15200 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
15201 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
15202 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
15211 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
15212 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
15214 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
15215 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
15216 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
15217 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
15220 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
15221 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
15222 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
15223 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
15225 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
15226 this will make spam disappear.
15228 There are some variables to customize, of course:
15231 @item gnus-use-nocem
15232 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
15233 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
15236 @item gnus-nocem-groups
15237 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
15238 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
15239 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
15240 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
15242 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
15243 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
15244 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
15245 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
15246 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
15247 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
15248 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
15250 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
15253 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
15254 @cindex Chris Lewis
15255 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
15256 usenet abuse than anybody else.
15259 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
15260 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
15261 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
15263 @item jem@@xpat.com;
15265 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
15268 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
15269 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
15270 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
15273 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
15274 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
15275 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
15276 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
15277 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
15278 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
15279 @var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is
15280 either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use)
15281 or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a
15282 regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
15284 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
15285 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
15288 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
15291 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
15292 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
15295 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
15298 The specs are applied left-to-right.
15301 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
15302 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
15304 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
15305 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
15306 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
15307 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
15309 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
15310 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
15313 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
15315 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
15323 This might be dangerous, though.
15325 @item gnus-nocem-directory
15326 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
15327 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
15328 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
15330 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
15331 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
15332 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
15333 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
15334 might then see old spam.
15338 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
15339 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
15340 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
15341 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
15348 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
15349 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
15350 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
15352 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
15353 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
15354 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
15355 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
15356 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
15357 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
15358 @code{undo} function.
15360 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
15361 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
15362 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
15363 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
15364 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
15365 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
15366 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
15367 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
15368 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
15369 never be totally undoable.
15371 @findex gnus-undo-mode
15372 @vindex gnus-use-undo
15374 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
15375 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
15376 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
15377 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
15382 @section Moderation
15385 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
15386 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
15387 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
15390 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
15394 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
15397 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
15399 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
15404 You split your incoming mail by matching on
15405 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
15406 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
15409 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
15410 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
15413 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
15414 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
15418 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
15421 (setq gnus-moderated-list
15422 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
15426 @node XEmacs Enhancements
15427 @section XEmacs Enhancements
15430 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
15434 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
15435 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
15436 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
15437 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
15450 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
15451 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
15452 over your shoulder as you read news.
15455 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
15456 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
15457 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
15458 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
15459 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
15464 @subsubsection Picon Basics
15466 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
15475 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
15476 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
15477 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
15478 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
15479 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
15480 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
15481 @code{GIF} formats.
15484 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
15485 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
15486 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
15487 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
15488 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
15490 @vindex gnus-picons-database
15491 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
15492 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
15493 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
15494 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
15495 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
15498 @node Picon Requirements
15499 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
15501 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
15502 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
15505 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
15506 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
15507 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
15509 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
15510 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
15511 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
15512 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
15513 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
15517 @subsubsection Easy Picons
15519 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
15520 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
15523 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
15524 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
15527 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
15528 containing the Picons databases.
15530 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
15533 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
15534 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
15539 @subsubsection Hard Picons
15547 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
15548 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
15549 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
15550 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
15551 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
15556 @item gnus-picons-database
15557 @vindex gnus-picons-database
15558 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
15559 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
15560 subdirectories. This is only useful if
15561 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
15562 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
15564 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
15565 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
15566 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
15567 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
15568 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
15569 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
15570 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
15572 @item gnus-picons-display-where
15573 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
15574 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
15575 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
15576 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
15577 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
15578 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
15579 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
15581 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
15582 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
15583 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
15588 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
15589 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
15591 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
15592 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
15595 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
15597 @item gnus-article-display-picons
15598 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
15599 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
15600 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
15602 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
15603 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
15604 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
15610 @node Picon Useless Configuration
15611 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
15619 The following variables offer further control over how things are
15620 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
15621 don't need to worry about.
15625 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
15626 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
15627 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
15628 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
15630 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
15631 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
15632 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
15633 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
15635 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
15636 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
15637 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
15638 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
15639 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
15641 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
15642 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
15643 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
15644 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
15645 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
15646 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
15647 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
15649 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
15650 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
15651 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
15652 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
15654 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
15655 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
15656 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
15657 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
15658 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
15659 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
15660 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
15662 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
15663 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
15664 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
15665 Defaults to @code{nil}.
15667 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
15668 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
15669 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
15670 Defaults to @code{t}.
15672 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
15673 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
15674 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
15675 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
15677 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
15678 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
15679 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
15681 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
15682 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
15683 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
15684 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
15686 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
15687 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
15689 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
15690 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
15691 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
15692 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
15693 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
15694 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
15695 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
15696 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
15707 @subsection Smileys
15712 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
15717 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
15718 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
15720 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
15721 @file{.gnus.el} file:
15724 (setq gnus-treat-display-smiley t)
15727 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
15728 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
15729 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
15730 text and maps that to file names.
15732 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
15733 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
15734 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
15735 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
15736 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
15737 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
15739 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
15740 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
15742 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
15743 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
15744 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
15746 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
15747 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
15751 @item smiley-data-directory
15752 @vindex smiley-data-directory
15753 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
15755 @item smiley-flesh-color
15756 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
15757 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
15759 @item smiley-features-color
15760 @vindex smiley-features-color
15761 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
15763 @item smiley-tongue-color
15764 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
15765 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
15767 @item smiley-circle-color
15768 @vindex smiley-circle-color
15769 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
15771 @item smiley-mouse-face
15772 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
15773 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
15779 @subsection Toolbar
15789 @item gnus-use-toolbar
15790 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
15791 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
15792 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
15793 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
15795 @item gnus-group-toolbar
15796 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
15797 The toolbar in the group buffer.
15799 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
15800 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
15801 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
15803 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15804 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
15805 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
15811 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
15814 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15815 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
15816 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
15817 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
15818 unusual directory structure.
15820 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15821 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
15822 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
15823 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
15825 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15826 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
15827 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
15828 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
15829 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
15830 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
15832 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15833 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
15834 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
15848 @node Fuzzy Matching
15849 @section Fuzzy Matching
15850 @cindex fuzzy matching
15852 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
15853 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
15855 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
15856 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
15857 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
15859 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
15860 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
15861 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
15862 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
15863 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
15866 @node Thwarting Email Spam
15867 @section Thwarting Email Spam
15871 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
15873 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
15874 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
15875 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
15876 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
15877 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
15878 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
15879 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
15880 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
15883 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
15884 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
15885 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
15886 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
15887 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
15888 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
15892 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
15893 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
15895 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
15896 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
15897 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
15898 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
15899 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
15900 part of the mail address.)
15903 (setq message-default-news-headers
15904 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
15907 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15908 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
15913 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
15914 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
15915 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
15921 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
15922 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
15923 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
15924 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
15926 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
15927 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
15928 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
15929 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
15930 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
15931 your fancy split rule in this way:
15936 (to "larsi" "misc")
15940 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
15941 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
15942 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
15943 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
15944 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
15946 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
15947 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
15948 at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
15949 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
15950 cosmic balance somewhat.
15952 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
15953 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
15954 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
15955 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
15958 @node Various Various
15959 @section Various Various
15965 @item gnus-home-directory
15966 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
15967 defaults to @file{~/}.
15969 @item gnus-directory
15970 @vindex gnus-directory
15971 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
15972 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
15973 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
15975 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
15976 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
15977 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
15978 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
15980 @item gnus-default-directory
15981 @vindex gnus-default-directory
15982 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
15983 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
15984 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
15985 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15986 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
15987 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
15990 @vindex gnus-verbose
15991 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
15992 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
15993 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
15994 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
15995 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
15997 @item gnus-verbose-backends
15998 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
15999 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
16000 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
16002 @item nnheader-max-head-length
16003 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
16004 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
16005 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
16006 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
16007 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
16008 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
16009 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
16010 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
16011 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
16013 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
16014 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
16015 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
16016 read when doing the operation described above.
16018 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
16019 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
16021 @cindex invalid characters in file names
16022 @cindex characters in file names
16023 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
16024 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
16025 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
16028 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
16032 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
16033 Windows (phooey) systems.
16035 @item gnus-hidden-properties
16036 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
16037 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
16038 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
16039 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
16041 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
16042 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
16043 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
16044 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
16045 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
16047 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
16048 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
16049 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
16058 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
16059 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
16061 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
16063 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
16069 Not because of victories @*
16072 but for the common sunshine,@*
16074 the largess of the spring.
16078 but for the day's work done@*
16079 as well as I was able;@*
16080 not for a seat upon the dais@*
16081 but at the common table.@*
16086 @chapter Appendices
16089 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
16090 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
16091 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
16092 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
16093 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
16094 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
16095 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
16103 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
16104 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
16106 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
16107 can point your (feh!) web browser to
16108 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
16109 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
16110 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
16112 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
16113 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
16114 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
16115 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
16116 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
16117 appropriate name, don't you think?)
16119 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
16120 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
16121 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
16122 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
16124 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
16125 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
16126 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
16128 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
16129 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
16131 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
16132 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
16134 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
16135 releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998.
16137 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
16138 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
16139 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
16140 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
16141 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
16145 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
16146 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
16147 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
16148 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
16149 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
16150 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
16151 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
16158 What's the point of Gnus?
16160 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
16161 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
16162 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
16163 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
16164 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
16165 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
16166 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
16167 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
16168 keep track of millions of people who post?
16170 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
16171 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
16172 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
16173 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
16174 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
16175 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
16176 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
16177 every one of you to explore and invent.
16179 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
16180 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
16183 @node Compatibility
16184 @subsection Compatibility
16186 @cindex compatibility
16187 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
16188 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
16189 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
16194 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
16198 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
16201 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
16204 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
16205 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
16206 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
16207 important variables have their values copied into their global
16208 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
16209 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
16211 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
16212 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
16213 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
16214 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
16215 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
16219 @cindex highlighting
16220 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
16221 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
16222 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
16223 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
16224 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
16225 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
16228 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
16229 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
16230 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
16231 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
16233 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
16234 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
16235 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
16236 to stop doing it the old way.
16238 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
16240 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
16242 @cindex reporting bugs
16244 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
16245 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
16246 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
16248 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
16249 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
16250 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
16251 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
16256 @subsection Conformity
16258 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
16259 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
16266 There are no known breaches of this standard.
16270 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
16272 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
16273 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
16274 We do have some breaches to this one.
16279 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
16280 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
16281 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
16282 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
16283 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
16288 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
16289 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
16290 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
16291 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
16295 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
16296 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
16301 @subsection Emacsen
16307 Gnus should work on :
16315 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
16319 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
16320 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
16323 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
16324 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
16325 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
16330 @subsection Contributors
16331 @cindex contributors
16333 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
16334 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
16335 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
16336 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
16337 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
16338 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
16339 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
16340 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
16341 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
16342 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
16344 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
16350 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
16353 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
16354 well as numerous other things).
16357 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
16360 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
16363 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el and many other things
16364 connected with @sc{mime} and other types of en/decoding.
16367 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
16368 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
16371 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
16374 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
16375 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
16378 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
16381 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
16384 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
16387 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
16390 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
16391 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
16394 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
16397 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
16400 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
16403 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
16407 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
16410 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
16413 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
16416 Fran
\e$BmP
\e(Bis Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
16417 well as autoconf support.
16421 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
16422 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
16424 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
16429 David K
\e$BiH
\e(Bedal,
16433 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
16437 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
16460 Massimo Campostrini,
16468 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
16474 Michael Welsh Duggan,
16478 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
16482 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
16489 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
16491 Michelangelo Grigni,
16495 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
16497 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
16499 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
16504 Fran
\e$BmP
\e(Bis Felix Ingrand,
16505 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
16507 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
16516 Peter Skov Knudsen,
16517 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
16518 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
16519 Thor Kristoffersen,
16522 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
16540 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
16541 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
16548 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
16552 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
16556 John McClary Prevost,
16562 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
16567 Christian von Roques,
16570 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
16577 Philippe Schnoebelen,
16579 Randal L. Schwartz,
16610 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
16615 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
16616 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
16617 (550kB and counting).
16619 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
16622 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
16623 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
16627 @subsection New Features
16628 @cindex new features
16631 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
16632 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
16633 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
16634 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
16637 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
16638 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
16639 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
16643 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
16645 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
16650 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
16651 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
16654 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
16655 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
16658 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
16661 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
16662 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
16663 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
16666 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
16667 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
16668 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
16669 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
16672 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
16673 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
16676 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
16677 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
16678 (@pxref{The Active File}).
16681 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
16682 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
16685 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
16686 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
16687 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
16690 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
16691 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
16692 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
16695 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
16696 the @file{.emacs} file.
16699 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
16700 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16703 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
16704 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
16707 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
16708 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
16711 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
16712 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
16715 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
16716 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
16719 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
16722 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
16723 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
16726 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
16727 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
16730 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
16731 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
16734 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
16737 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
16738 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
16741 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
16745 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
16749 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
16750 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
16753 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
16759 @node September Gnus
16760 @subsubsection September Gnus
16764 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
16768 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
16773 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
16774 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
16778 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
16779 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
16783 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
16787 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
16788 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
16791 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
16795 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
16798 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
16801 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
16804 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
16808 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
16809 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
16812 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
16816 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
16820 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
16824 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
16828 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
16831 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
16832 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
16835 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
16839 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
16840 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
16843 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
16846 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
16847 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
16848 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
16851 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
16855 The Gnus cache is much faster.
16858 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
16862 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
16863 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16866 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
16867 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
16870 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
16871 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16874 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
16875 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
16876 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
16879 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
16880 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
16883 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
16886 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16889 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
16892 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
16895 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
16896 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
16899 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
16903 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
16906 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
16911 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
16914 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
16918 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
16921 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
16925 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
16928 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
16931 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
16932 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
16935 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
16936 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
16940 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
16941 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
16944 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
16948 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
16949 buffer to allow easier treatment.
16952 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
16955 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
16959 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
16963 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
16964 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
16967 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
16971 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
16972 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
16975 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
16976 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16979 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
16983 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
16986 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
16989 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
16995 @subsubsection Red Gnus
16997 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
17001 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
17008 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
17011 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
17012 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
17015 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
17016 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
17020 Article washing status can be displayed in the
17021 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
17024 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
17027 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
17028 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
17031 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
17035 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
17036 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
17040 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
17041 Server Internals}).
17044 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
17048 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
17051 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
17052 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
17055 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
17056 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
17057 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
17060 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
17061 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
17064 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
17065 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
17068 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
17072 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
17073 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
17076 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
17077 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
17080 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
17084 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
17087 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
17091 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
17092 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
17095 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
17096 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
17099 A new command for reading collections of documents
17100 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
17101 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
17104 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
17108 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
17109 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
17112 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
17113 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
17114 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
17117 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
17118 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
17122 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
17126 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
17130 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
17135 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
17139 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
17143 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
17144 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
17147 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
17153 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
17155 New features in Gnus 5.6:
17160 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
17161 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
17162 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
17165 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
17166 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
17167 group, which is created automatically.
17170 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
17174 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
17177 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
17178 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
17181 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
17185 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
17188 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
17189 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
17192 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
17195 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
17196 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
17199 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
17200 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
17203 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
17204 control over simplification.
17207 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
17210 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
17214 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
17217 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
17220 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
17221 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
17222 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
17225 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
17226 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
17229 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
17233 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
17234 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
17237 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
17238 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
17241 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
17245 A history of where mails have been split is available.
17248 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
17251 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
17252 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
17255 A new function for citing in Message has been
17256 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
17259 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
17262 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
17266 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
17267 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
17270 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
17271 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
17274 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
17277 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
17282 @node Newest Features
17283 @subsection Newest Features
17286 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
17289 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
17291 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
17292 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
17295 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
17300 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
17301 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
17304 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
17307 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
17310 facep is not declared.
17313 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
17314 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
17317 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
17322 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
17323 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
17324 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
17325 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
17326 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
17327 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
17328 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
17333 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
17336 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
17339 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
17341 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
17342 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
17344 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
17346 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
17348 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
17349 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
17351 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
17353 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
17354 be marked as unread.
17356 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
17358 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
17360 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
17361 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
17363 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
17365 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
17367 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
17368 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
17370 topics that contain just groups with ticked
17371 articles aren't displayed.
17373 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
17375 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
17376 make the mail groups killed.
17378 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
17380 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
17381 and articles have to be removed.
17383 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
17386 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
17388 finding short score file names takes forever.
17390 canceling articles in foreign groups.
17392 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
17394 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
17396 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
17398 nnweb doesn't work properly.
17400 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
17402 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
17403 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
17407 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
17409 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
17410 bar and the Gnus bar.
17413 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
17414 `(canonize-message-id id)'
17415 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
17416 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
17417 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
17418 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
17423 nnml .overview directory with splits.
17427 postponed commands.
17429 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
17431 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
17434 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
17435 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
17437 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
17438 inherit copy prompts and save files.
17440 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
17442 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
17443 for backends that support that.
17445 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
17447 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
17448 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
17450 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
17451 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
17453 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
17455 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
17457 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
17459 server mode command: close/open all connections
17461 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
17462 has been changed before using it.
17464 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
17466 hide (sub)threads with low score.
17468 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
17470 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
17472 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
17473 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
17475 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
17476 contain groups that match a regexp.
17478 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
17481 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
17484 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
17485 from subject lines.
17487 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
17489 nntp-ping-before-connect
17491 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
17493 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
17494 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
17496 message annotations.
17498 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
17500 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
17501 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
17503 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
17508 support qmail maildir spools
17510 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
17512 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
17514 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
17516 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
17517 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
17519 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
17521 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
17523 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
17524 finds and generate proper active ranges.
17526 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
17527 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
17529 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
17531 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
17533 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
17534 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
17536 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
17538 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
17540 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
17541 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
17544 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
17546 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
17548 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
17549 `C-c C-c' when posting.
17551 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
17554 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
17555 should be marker as expirable.
17557 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
17559 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
17560 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
17562 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
17563 Also consult Date headers.
17565 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
17567 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
17569 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
17570 Message-ID, delete the "original".
17572 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
17573 into a See-Also header.
17575 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
17577 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
17579 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
17580 should be listed as such and not as "K".
17582 generate font names dynamically.
17584 score file mode auto-alist.
17586 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
17587 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
17589 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
17590 absolutely all headers there is.
17592 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
17593 and pipe them to the process.
17595 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
17596 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
17597 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
17599 function for starting to edit a file to put into
17600 the current mail group.
17602 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
17604 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
17605 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
17607 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
17608 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
17610 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
17612 when replying to several process-marked articles,
17613 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
17615 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
17616 groups it has been mailed to.
17618 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
17620 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
17622 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
17624 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
17625 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
17627 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
17628 newlines) should be ignored.
17630 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
17631 groups in subtopics as well.
17633 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
17635 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
17638 add edit and forward secondary marks.
17640 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
17642 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
17644 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
17646 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
17648 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
17650 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
17651 or the formatted article.
17653 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
17655 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
17656 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
17658 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
17660 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
17662 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
17664 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
17665 even unread articles.
17667 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
17669 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
17671 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
17673 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
17675 canceling articles in foreign groups.
17677 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
17680 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
17681 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
17683 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
17684 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
17686 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
17688 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
17690 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
17691 from a particular server? Hm.
17693 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
17694 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
17696 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
17698 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
17699 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
17701 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
17702 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
17704 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
17705 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
17706 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
17709 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
17710 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
17712 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
17714 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
17716 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
17718 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
17721 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
17724 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
17725 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
17727 command to show and edit group scores
17729 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
17732 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
17734 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
17736 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
17737 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
17740 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
17741 that are of that length.
17743 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
17745 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
17747 asynchronous posting under nntp.
17749 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
17751 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
17753 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
17755 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
17756 a score lower than this number.
17758 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
17760 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
17762 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
17763 so that each copy can be edited separately.
17765 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
17767 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
17768 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
17770 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
17773 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
17774 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
17775 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
17776 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
17778 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
17781 command to remove all topic stuff.
17783 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
17784 and splitting the resulting digests.
17786 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
17788 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
17790 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
17791 matches an alist -- before saving.
17793 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
17795 variable to activate each group before entering them
17796 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
17798 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
17799 starting Gnus first if necessary.
17801 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
17802 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
17804 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
17806 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
17807 of several groups at once.
17809 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
17810 matches some regexp(s).
17812 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
17814 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
17816 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
17818 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
17820 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
17822 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
17824 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
17826 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
17827 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
17828 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
17829 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
17831 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
17832 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
17834 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
17836 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
17837 recently cited text.
17839 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
17841 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
17844 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
17845 server and just read the articles in the server
17847 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
17848 value of nnoo variables.
17850 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
17852 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
17853 listed in each group info.
17855 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
17858 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
17859 should only be applied to some groups.
17861 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
17862 mail-copies-to: never.
17864 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
17865 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
17867 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
17869 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
17872 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
17875 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
17877 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
17880 group user-defined meta-parameters.
17884 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
17886 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
17887 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
17888 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
17889 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
17890 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
17892 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
17893 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
17900 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
17901 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
17903 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
17904 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
17906 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
17907 "Return the date the group was last read."
17908 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
17913 tanken var at n
\e$BiS
\e(B du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til
\92é
\81lete
17914 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den v
\e$BkS
\e(Be en
17915 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
17916 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
17920 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
17921 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
17923 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
17926 They could be used like this:
17930 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
17931 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
17932 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
17934 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
17936 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
17939 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
17942 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
17943 affect the summary line format.
17947 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
17949 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
17950 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
17952 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
17955 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
17957 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
17959 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
17961 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
17963 - For other files, just find them normally.
17965 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
17966 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
17969 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
17970 tell him what you are doing.
17973 Currently, I get prompted:
17977 decend into sci.something ?
17981 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
17982 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
17983 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
17984 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
17987 Ja, det burde v
\e$BkS
\e(Be en m
\e$BiU
\e(Be
\92é
\81si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
17988 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? S
\92é
\81kunne score-regler legges til den
17989 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
17990 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
17993 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
17994 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
18000 more than n blank lines
18002 more than m identical lines
18003 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
18005 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
18009 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
18010 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
18011 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
18012 "same" subject for threading purposes.
18015 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
18016 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
18017 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
18018 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
18021 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
18024 soup - bowl of soup
18025 score below - dim light bulb
18026 score over - bright light bulb
18029 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
18034 show-list-of-articles-in-group
18035 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
18036 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
18037 if (articles-selected)
18038 start-reading-selected-articles;
18039 junk-unread-articles;
18044 else if (key-pressed = '.')
18045 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
18046 select-thread-under-cursor;
18048 select-article-under-cursor;
18052 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
18053 if (more-pages-in-article)
18055 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
18062 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
18063 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
18064 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
18067 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
18068 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
18069 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
18070 the wildcard expression).
18073 It would be nice if it also handled
18075 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
18077 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
18082 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
18083 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
18084 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
18085 article versions) variable.
18087 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
18089 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
18090 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
18094 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
18097 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
18098 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
18099 (message-sent-hook).
18101 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
18104 * Enhancements to Gnus:
18108 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
18109 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
18112 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
18113 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
18114 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
18117 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
18118 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
18122 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
18125 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
18129 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
18130 the nnmail duplicate checking.
18133 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
18134 value of the signature file.
18137 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
18138 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
18141 (setq message-tab-alist
18142 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
18143 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
18145 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
18149 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
18152 a command to import a buffer into a group.
18155 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
18158 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
18159 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
18162 a command to process mark all unread articles.
18165 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
18166 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
18167 do more gathering by subject.
18170 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
18171 article numerical order.
18174 (gnus-thread-total-score
18175 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
18179 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
18182 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
18183 in the summary buffer.
18186 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
18187 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
18190 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
18191 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
18192 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
18193 and/or newsgroup name.
18196 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
18199 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
18202 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
18205 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
18206 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
18207 will automatically get the process mark.
18210 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
18211 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
18212 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
18215 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
18219 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
18220 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
18223 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
18224 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
18228 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
18229 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
18232 be able to post via DejaNews.
18235 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
18238 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
18239 allow them to be displayed separately.
18242 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
18243 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
18246 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
18247 articles that match a certain From header.
18250 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
18251 saving living summary buffers.
18254 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
18255 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
18258 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
18259 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
18262 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
18263 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
18266 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
18267 (goto-char (point-min))
18268 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
18269 (replace-match "`" t t))
18270 (goto-char (point-min))
18271 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
18272 (replace-match "'" t t))
18273 (goto-char (point-min))
18274 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
18275 (replace-match "\"" t t))
18276 (goto-char (point-min))
18277 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
18278 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
18283 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
18285 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
18286 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
18287 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
18288 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
18292 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
18295 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
18296 numbers and match on the age of the article.
18300 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
18301 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
18302 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
18304 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
18305 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
18307 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
18308 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
18313 all commands that react to the process mark should push
18314 the current process mark set onto the stack.
18317 gnus-article-hide-pgp
18318 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt
\92é
\81slette den dersom teksten matcher
18320 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
18322 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
18323 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
18326 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
18327 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
18330 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
18334 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
18335 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
18338 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
18341 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
18344 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
18347 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
18351 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
18357 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
18360 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
18364 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
18365 X characters in the body.
18368 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
18371 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
18374 format spec to "tab" to a position.
18377 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
18380 command to display all dormant articles.
18383 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
18386 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
18387 to something someone else has said.
18390 Read Netscape discussion groups:
18391 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
18394 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
18395 the displayed version.
18398 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
18402 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
18405 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
18406 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
18407 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
18411 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
18412 in the head or body.
18415 Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
18418 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
18421 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
18422 in a special, unique buffer.
18425 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
18428 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
18429 is less than a certain number of days old.
18432 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
18435 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
18438 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
18439 file, for instance.
18442 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
18443 in any other dummy thread will make gnus highlight the
18444 dummy root instead of the first article.
18447 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
18448 topics for displaying.
18451 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
18452 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
18455 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
18458 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
18459 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
18460 summary buffer for each article.
18463 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
18466 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
18470 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
18473 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
18477 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
18480 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
18483 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
18484 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
18487 `S D r' should allow expansion of aliases.
18490 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
18491 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
18494 The documentation should mention pop3.el, fetchmail, smtpmail and why
18495 po:username often fails.
18498 Fetch by Message-ID from dejanews.
18500 <URL:http://search.dejanews.com/msgid.xp?MID=%3C62h9l9$hm4@@basement.replay.com%3E&fmt=raw>
18503 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
18504 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
18507 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
18508 timeout for all commands.
18511 Solve the halting problem.
18520 @section The Manual
18524 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
18525 either @code{texi2dvi}
18527 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
18528 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
18530 to get what you hold in your hands now.
18532 The following conventions have been used:
18537 This is a @samp{string}
18540 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
18543 This is a @file{file}
18546 This is a @code{symbol}
18550 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
18554 (setq flargnoze "yes")
18557 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
18560 (setq flumphel 'yes)
18563 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
18564 ever get them confused.
18568 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
18569 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
18570 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
18571 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
18572 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
18573 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
18574 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
18582 @section Terminology
18584 @cindex terminology
18589 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
18590 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
18591 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
18592 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
18593 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
18597 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
18598 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
18599 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
18600 not posting, and replying is not following up.
18604 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
18608 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
18613 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
18614 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
18615 is all done by the backends.
18619 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
18620 default, way of getting news.
18624 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
18625 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
18630 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
18631 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
18635 A message that has been posted as news.
18638 @cindex mail message
18639 A message that has been mailed.
18643 A mail message or news article
18647 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
18652 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
18657 A line from the head of an article.
18661 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
18662 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
18666 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
18667 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
18668 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
18669 normal @sc{head} format.
18673 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
18674 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
18675 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
18676 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
18677 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
18678 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
18680 @item killed groups
18681 @cindex killed groups
18682 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
18683 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
18685 @item zombie groups
18686 @cindex zombie groups
18687 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
18690 @cindex active file
18691 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
18692 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
18693 is rather large, as you might surmise.
18696 @cindex bogus groups
18697 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
18698 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
18699 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
18702 @cindex activating groups
18703 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
18704 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
18705 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
18709 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
18711 @item select method
18712 @cindex select method
18713 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
18716 @item virtual server
18717 @cindex virtual server
18718 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
18719 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
18720 whole is a virtual server.
18724 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
18725 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
18728 @item ephemeral groups
18729 @cindex ephemeral groups
18730 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
18731 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
18732 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
18735 @cindex solid groups
18736 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
18737 group buffer are solid groups.
18739 @item sparse articles
18740 @cindex sparse articles
18741 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
18742 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
18746 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
18747 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
18751 @cindex thread root
18752 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
18753 articles in the thread.
18757 An article that has responses.
18761 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
18765 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
18766 specified by RFC1153.
18772 @node Customization
18773 @section Customization
18774 @cindex general customization
18776 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
18777 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
18778 for some quite common situations.
18781 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
18782 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
18783 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
18784 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
18788 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
18789 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
18791 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
18792 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
18793 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
18797 @item gnus-read-active-file
18798 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
18799 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
18800 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
18801 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
18802 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
18804 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
18805 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
18806 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
18807 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
18811 @node Slow Terminal Connection
18812 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
18814 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
18815 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
18816 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
18820 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
18821 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
18822 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
18823 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
18824 horizontal and vertical recentering.
18826 @item gnus-visible-headers
18827 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
18828 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
18829 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
18830 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
18832 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
18834 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
18835 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
18836 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
18839 @item gnus-use-full-window
18840 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
18841 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
18842 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
18843 want to read them anyway.
18845 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
18846 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
18849 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
18850 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
18851 lines, which might save some time.
18855 @node Little Disk Space
18856 @subsection Little Disk Space
18859 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
18860 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
18864 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
18865 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
18866 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
18867 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18870 @item gnus-save-killed-list
18871 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
18872 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
18873 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
18874 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
18880 @subsection Slow Machine
18881 @cindex slow machine
18883 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
18884 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
18886 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
18887 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
18889 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
18890 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
18891 summary buffer faster.
18895 @node Troubleshooting
18896 @section Troubleshooting
18897 @cindex troubleshooting
18899 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
18907 Make sure your computer is switched on.
18910 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
18911 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
18915 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
18916 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
18917 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
18918 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
18921 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
18925 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
18926 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
18927 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
18928 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
18929 something like that.
18932 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
18935 @cindex reporting bugs
18937 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18939 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
18940 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
18941 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
18942 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
18944 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
18945 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
18946 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
18947 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
18950 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
18951 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
18952 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
18953 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
18954 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
18955 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
18957 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
18958 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
18959 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
18962 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
18963 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
18965 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
18966 @cindex ding mailing list
18967 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
18968 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
18972 @node Gnus Reference Guide
18973 @section Gnus Reference Guide
18975 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
18976 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
18977 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
18978 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
18981 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
18982 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
18983 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
18984 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
18985 and general methods of operation.
18988 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
18989 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
18990 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
18991 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
18992 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
18993 * Group Info:: The group info format.
18994 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
18995 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
18996 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
19000 @node Gnus Utility Functions
19001 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
19002 @cindex Gnus utility functions
19003 @cindex utility functions
19005 @cindex internal variables
19007 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
19008 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
19009 Below is a list of the most common ones.
19013 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
19014 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
19015 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
19017 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
19018 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
19019 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
19021 @item gnus-group-real-name
19022 @findex gnus-group-real-name
19023 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
19026 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
19027 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
19028 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
19029 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
19031 @item gnus-get-info
19032 @findex gnus-get-info
19033 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
19035 @item gnus-group-unread
19036 @findex gnus-group-unread
19037 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
19041 @findex gnus-active
19042 The active entry for @var{group}.
19044 @item gnus-set-active
19045 @findex gnus-set-active
19046 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
19048 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
19049 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
19050 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
19053 @item gnus-continuum-version
19054 @findex gnus-continuum-version
19055 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
19056 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
19059 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
19060 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
19061 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
19063 @item gnus-news-group-p
19064 @findex gnus-news-group-p
19065 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
19067 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
19068 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
19069 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
19071 @item gnus-server-to-method
19072 @findex gnus-server-to-method
19073 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
19075 @item gnus-server-equal
19076 @findex gnus-server-equal
19077 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
19079 @item gnus-group-native-p
19080 @findex gnus-group-native-p
19081 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
19083 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
19084 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
19085 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
19087 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
19088 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
19089 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
19091 @item group-group-find-parameter
19092 @findex group-group-find-parameter
19093 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
19094 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
19096 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
19097 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
19098 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
19100 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
19101 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
19102 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
19104 @item gnus-check-backend-function
19105 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
19106 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
19107 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
19110 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
19114 @item gnus-read-method
19115 @findex gnus-read-method
19116 Prompts the user for a select method.
19121 @node Backend Interface
19122 @subsection Backend Interface
19124 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
19125 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
19126 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
19127 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
19128 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
19129 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
19131 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
19132 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
19133 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
19134 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
19135 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
19136 been opened, the function should fail.
19138 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
19139 name. Take this example:
19143 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
19144 (nntp-port-number 4324))
19147 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
19148 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
19150 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
19151 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
19152 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
19154 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
19155 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
19156 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
19158 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
19159 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
19160 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
19161 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
19162 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
19163 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
19166 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
19167 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
19168 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
19169 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
19172 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
19175 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
19178 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
19179 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
19180 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
19181 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
19182 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
19183 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
19187 @node Required Backend Functions
19188 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
19192 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
19194 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
19195 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
19196 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
19197 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
19199 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
19200 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
19201 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
19202 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
19204 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
19205 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
19206 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
19207 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
19208 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
19209 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
19210 number, do maximum fetches.
19212 Here's an example HEAD:
19215 221 1056 Article retrieved.
19216 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
19217 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
19218 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
19219 Subject: Re: Something very droll
19220 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
19221 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
19223 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
19224 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
19225 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
19229 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
19230 these in the data buffer.
19232 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
19236 head = error / valid-head
19237 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
19238 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
19239 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
19240 header = <text> eol
19243 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
19244 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
19248 nov-buffer = *nov-line
19249 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
19250 field = <text except TAB>
19253 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
19257 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
19259 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
19260 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
19262 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
19263 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
19264 server. In fact, it should do so.
19266 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
19267 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
19270 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
19272 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
19273 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
19276 There should be no data returned.
19279 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
19281 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
19282 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
19283 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
19284 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
19286 There should be no data returned.
19289 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
19291 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
19292 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
19293 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
19294 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
19296 There should be no data returned.
19299 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
19301 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
19303 There should be no data returned.
19306 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
19308 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
19309 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
19310 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
19311 it would be nice if that were possible.
19313 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
19314 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
19315 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
19316 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
19317 into its article buffer.
19319 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
19320 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
19321 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
19322 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
19323 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
19324 on successful article retrieval.
19327 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
19329 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
19330 making @var{group} the current group.
19332 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
19335 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
19338 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
19341 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
19342 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
19343 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
19344 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
19345 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
19346 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
19347 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
19348 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
19351 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
19352 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
19353 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
19357 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
19359 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
19360 a no-op on most backends.
19362 There should be no data returned.
19365 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
19367 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
19370 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
19373 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
19374 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
19377 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
19378 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
19381 active-file = *active-line
19382 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
19384 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
19387 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
19388 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
19389 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
19392 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
19394 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
19395 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
19396 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
19397 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
19398 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
19399 clear if the posting could not be completed.
19401 There should be no result data from this function.
19406 @node Optional Backend Functions
19407 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
19411 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
19413 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
19414 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
19415 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
19417 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
19418 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
19419 former is in the same format as the data from
19420 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
19421 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
19424 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
19428 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
19430 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
19431 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
19432 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
19433 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
19434 should return the (altered) group info.
19436 There should be no result data from this function.
19439 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
19441 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
19442 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
19443 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
19444 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
19445 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
19446 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
19447 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
19448 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
19450 There should be no result data from this function.
19453 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
19455 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
19456 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
19457 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as IMAP) however carry all
19458 information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to propagate
19459 the mark information to the server.
19461 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
19464 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
19467 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
19468 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
19469 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
19470 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
19471 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a
19472 symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
19473 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
19474 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
19475 not limit itself to theese.
19477 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
19478 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
19479 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
19480 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
19482 An example action list:
19485 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
19486 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
19487 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
19490 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
19491 mark on (currently not used for anything).
19493 There should be no result data from this function.
19495 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
19497 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
19498 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
19499 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
19500 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
19501 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
19503 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
19504 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
19505 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
19508 There should be no result data from this function.
19511 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
19513 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
19514 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
19515 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
19516 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
19517 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
19518 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
19519 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
19521 There should be no result data from this function.
19524 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
19526 The result data from this function should be a description of
19530 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
19532 description = <text>
19535 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
19537 The result data from this function should be the description of all
19538 groups available on the server.
19541 description-buffer = *description-line
19545 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
19547 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
19548 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
19549 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
19552 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
19554 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
19556 There should be no return data.
19559 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
19561 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
19562 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
19563 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
19564 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
19565 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
19568 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
19571 There should be no result data returned.
19574 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
19577 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
19578 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
19580 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
19581 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
19582 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
19583 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
19584 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
19585 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
19587 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
19588 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
19591 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
19592 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
19594 There should be no data returned.
19597 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
19599 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
19600 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
19601 this function in short order.
19603 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
19604 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
19606 There should be no data returned.
19609 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
19611 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
19612 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
19614 There should be no data returned.
19617 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
19619 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
19620 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
19621 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
19623 There should be no data returned.
19626 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
19628 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
19629 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
19631 There should be no data returned.
19636 @node Error Messaging
19637 @subsubsection Error Messaging
19639 @findex nnheader-report
19640 @findex nnheader-get-report
19641 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
19642 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
19643 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
19644 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
19645 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
19646 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
19649 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
19651 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
19654 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
19655 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
19656 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
19657 takes one argument---the server symbol.
19659 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
19660 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
19661 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
19664 @node Writing New Backends
19665 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
19667 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
19668 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
19669 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
19670 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
19671 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
19674 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
19675 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
19676 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
19678 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
19679 package called @code{nnoo}.
19681 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
19682 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
19688 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
19689 parameters. For instance:
19692 (nnoo-declare nndir
19696 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
19697 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
19700 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
19701 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
19702 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
19704 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
19705 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
19706 a function in those backends.
19709 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
19710 "Where nndir will look for groups."
19711 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
19714 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
19715 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
19716 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
19718 @item nnoo-define-basics
19719 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
19723 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
19727 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
19728 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
19729 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
19731 @item nnoo-map-functions
19732 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
19733 functions from the parent backends.
19736 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
19737 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
19738 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
19741 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
19742 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
19743 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
19744 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
19747 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
19748 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
19749 haven't already been defined.
19755 nnmh-request-newgroups)
19759 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
19760 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
19761 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
19766 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
19769 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
19770 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
19774 (require 'nnheader)
19778 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
19780 (nnoo-declare nndir
19783 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
19784 "Where nndir will look for groups."
19785 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
19787 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
19788 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
19791 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
19792 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
19793 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
19795 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
19796 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
19798 ;;; Interface functions.
19800 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
19802 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
19803 (setq nndir-directory
19804 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
19806 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
19807 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
19808 (push `(nndir-current-group
19809 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
19811 (push `(nndir-top-directory
19812 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
19814 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
19816 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
19817 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
19818 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
19819 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
19820 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
19824 nnmh-status-message
19826 nnmh-request-newgroups))
19832 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
19833 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
19835 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
19836 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
19837 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
19838 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
19840 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
19841 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
19846 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
19849 The abilities can be:
19853 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
19855 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
19857 This backend supports both mail and news.
19859 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
19862 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
19863 articles and groups.
19865 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
19866 true for almost all backends.
19867 @item prompt-address
19868 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
19869 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
19870 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
19874 @node Mail-like Backends
19875 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
19877 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
19878 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
19879 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
19880 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
19883 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
19884 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
19885 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
19888 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
19889 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
19892 This function takes four parameters.
19896 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
19899 @item exit-function
19900 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
19902 @item temp-directory
19903 Where the temporary files should be stored.
19906 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
19907 performed for one group only.
19910 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
19911 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
19912 find the article number assigned to this article.
19914 The function also uses the following variables:
19915 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
19916 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
19917 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
19918 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
19922 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
19923 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
19927 @node Score File Syntax
19928 @subsection Score File Syntax
19930 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
19931 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
19932 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
19934 Here's a typical score file:
19938 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
19945 BNF definition of a score file:
19948 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
19949 element = rule / atom
19950 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
19951 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
19952 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
19953 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
19955 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
19956 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
19957 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
19958 date-header = "date"
19959 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19960 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19961 score = "nil" / <integer>
19962 date = "nil" / <natural number>
19963 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
19964 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
19965 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
19966 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
19967 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19968 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
19969 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
19970 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
19971 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
19972 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
19973 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
19974 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
19975 exclude-files / read-only / touched
19976 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
19977 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
19978 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
19979 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
19980 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
19981 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
19982 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
19983 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
19984 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
19985 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
19986 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
19987 eval = "eval" space <form>
19988 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
19991 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
19994 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
19995 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
19996 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
19997 one looong line, then that's ok.
19999 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
20000 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20004 @subsection Headers
20006 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
20007 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
20008 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
20009 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
20011 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
20012 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
20013 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
20014 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
20015 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
20016 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
20017 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
20019 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
20020 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
20021 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
20022 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
20023 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
20025 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
20026 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
20032 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
20033 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
20035 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
20036 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
20037 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
20038 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
20040 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
20044 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
20047 is transformed into
20050 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
20053 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
20054 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
20057 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
20060 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
20061 is slightly tricky:
20064 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
20070 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
20073 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
20079 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
20086 and is equal to the previous range.
20088 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
20089 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
20090 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
20094 range = simple-range / normal-range
20095 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
20096 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
20097 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
20098 number *[ " " contents ]
20101 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
20102 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
20103 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
20104 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
20105 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
20110 @subsection Group Info
20112 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
20113 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
20114 describes the group.
20116 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
20117 second is a more complex one:
20120 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
20122 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
20123 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
20125 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
20128 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
20129 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
20130 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
20131 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
20132 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
20133 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
20134 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
20135 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
20136 this section is about.
20138 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
20139 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
20140 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
20142 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
20145 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
20146 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
20147 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
20148 group = quote <string> quote
20149 ralevel = rank / level
20150 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
20151 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
20152 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
20154 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
20155 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
20156 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
20157 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
20160 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
20161 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
20164 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
20165 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
20168 @item gnus-info-group
20169 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
20170 @findex gnus-info-group
20171 @findex gnus-info-set-group
20172 Get/set the group name.
20174 @item gnus-info-rank
20175 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
20176 @findex gnus-info-rank
20177 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
20178 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
20180 @item gnus-info-level
20181 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
20182 @findex gnus-info-level
20183 @findex gnus-info-set-level
20184 Get/set the group level.
20186 @item gnus-info-score
20187 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
20188 @findex gnus-info-score
20189 @findex gnus-info-set-score
20190 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
20192 @item gnus-info-read
20193 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
20194 @findex gnus-info-read
20195 @findex gnus-info-set-read
20196 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
20198 @item gnus-info-marks
20199 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
20200 @findex gnus-info-marks
20201 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
20202 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
20204 @item gnus-info-method
20205 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
20206 @findex gnus-info-method
20207 @findex gnus-info-set-method
20208 Get/set the group select method.
20210 @item gnus-info-params
20211 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
20212 @findex gnus-info-params
20213 @findex gnus-info-set-params
20214 Get/set the group parameters.
20217 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
20218 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
20220 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
20221 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
20222 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
20223 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
20226 @node Extended Interactive
20227 @subsection Extended Interactive
20228 @cindex interactive
20229 @findex gnus-interactive
20231 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
20232 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
20233 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
20236 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
20237 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
20242 The best thing to do would have been to implement
20243 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
20244 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
20245 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
20246 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
20247 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
20248 @code{interactive}.
20250 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
20255 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
20256 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
20260 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
20261 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
20262 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
20265 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
20269 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
20273 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
20279 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
20280 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
20284 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
20285 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
20286 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
20288 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
20289 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
20290 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
20291 Gnus, that's very useful.
20293 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
20294 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
20295 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
20296 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
20297 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
20298 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
20299 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
20300 following function:
20303 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
20307 (,function ,@@args))
20311 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
20312 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
20313 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
20316 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
20317 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
20318 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
20320 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
20321 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
20322 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
20325 @node Various File Formats
20326 @subsection Various File Formats
20329 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
20330 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
20334 @node Active File Format
20335 @subsubsection Active File Format
20337 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
20338 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
20341 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
20344 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
20345 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
20346 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
20347 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
20348 no.general 1000 900 y
20351 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
20354 active = *group-line
20355 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
20356 group = <non-white-space string>
20358 high-number = <non-negative integer>
20359 low-number = <positive integer>
20360 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
20363 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
20364 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
20367 @node Newsgroups File Format
20368 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
20370 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
20371 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
20372 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
20375 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
20376 Here's the definition:
20380 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
20381 group = <non-white-space string>
20383 description = <string>
20388 @node Emacs for Heathens
20389 @section Emacs for Heathens
20391 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
20392 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
20393 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
20394 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
20395 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
20396 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
20397 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
20401 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
20402 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
20407 @subsection Keystrokes
20411 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
20414 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
20417 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
20418 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
20419 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
20420 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
20421 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
20422 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
20424 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
20425 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
20426 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
20427 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
20428 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
20429 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
20430 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
20432 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
20433 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
20434 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
20435 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
20436 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
20437 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
20438 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
20440 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
20441 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
20442 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
20443 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
20444 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
20450 @subsection Emacs Lisp
20452 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
20453 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
20454 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
20455 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
20457 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
20458 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
20459 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
20460 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
20461 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
20462 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
20463 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
20466 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
20467 write the following:
20470 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
20473 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
20474 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
20475 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
20478 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
20479 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
20480 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
20481 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
20482 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
20484 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
20485 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
20486 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
20490 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
20494 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
20497 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
20498 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
20501 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
20504 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
20505 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
20508 @include gnus-faq.texi