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4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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266 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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275 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
276 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
279 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
280 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
281 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
282 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
283 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
284 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
285 License'' in the Emacs manual.
287 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
288 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
289 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
291 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
292 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
293 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
294 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
302 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
304 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
306 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
307 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
308 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
309 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
310 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
311 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
312 License'' in the Emacs manual.
314 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
315 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
316 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
318 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
319 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
320 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
321 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
327 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
329 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
332 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
333 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
335 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
336 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
337 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
338 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
339 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
340 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
341 License'' in the Emacs manual.
343 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
344 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
345 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
347 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
348 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
349 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
350 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
359 @top The gnus Newsreader
363 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
364 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
365 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
368 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
369 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
370 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
371 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
372 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
373 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
375 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
386 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
387 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
389 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
390 being accused of plagiarism:
392 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
393 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
394 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
395 can even read news with it!
397 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
398 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
399 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
400 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
401 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
407 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
408 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
409 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
410 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
411 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
412 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
413 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
414 * Various:: General purpose settings.
415 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
416 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
417 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
418 * Key Index:: Key Index.
421 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
425 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
426 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
427 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
428 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
429 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
430 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
435 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
439 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
440 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
441 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
445 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
446 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
447 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
448 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
449 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
450 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
451 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
452 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
453 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
454 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
455 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
456 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
457 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
458 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
459 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
460 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
461 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
465 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
466 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
467 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
471 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
472 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
473 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
474 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
475 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
479 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
480 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
481 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
482 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
486 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
487 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
488 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
489 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
490 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
491 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
492 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
493 * Threading:: How threads are made.
494 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
495 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
496 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
497 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
498 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
499 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
500 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
501 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
502 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
503 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
504 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
505 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
506 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
507 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
508 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
509 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
510 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
511 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
512 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
513 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
514 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
516 Summary Buffer Format
518 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
519 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
520 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
521 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
525 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
526 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
528 Reply, Followup and Post
530 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
531 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
532 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
533 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
537 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
538 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
539 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
540 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
541 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
542 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
546 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
547 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
549 Customizing Threading
551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
558 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
559 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
560 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
561 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
562 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
563 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
567 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
568 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
569 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
573 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
574 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
575 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
576 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
577 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
578 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
579 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
580 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
582 Alternative Approaches
584 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
585 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
587 Various Summary Stuff
589 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
590 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
591 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
592 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
596 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
597 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
598 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
599 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
600 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
604 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
605 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
606 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
607 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
608 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
609 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
610 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
611 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
615 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
616 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
617 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
618 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
619 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
620 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
621 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
625 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
626 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
627 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
628 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
629 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
630 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
631 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
635 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
636 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
640 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
641 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
642 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
643 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
644 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
645 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
646 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
647 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
648 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
649 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
650 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
651 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
652 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
656 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
657 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
658 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
660 Choosing a Mail Backend
662 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
663 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
664 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
665 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
666 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
667 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
671 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
672 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
673 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
674 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
678 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
679 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
680 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
681 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
682 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
683 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
687 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
691 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
692 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
693 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
697 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
698 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
699 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
703 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
704 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
708 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
709 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
710 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
711 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
712 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
713 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
714 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
715 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
716 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
717 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
721 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
722 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
723 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
727 * Group Agent Commands::
728 * Summary Agent Commands::
729 * Server Agent Commands::
733 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
734 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
735 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
736 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
737 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
738 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
739 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
740 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
741 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
742 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
743 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
744 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
745 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
746 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
747 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
748 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
752 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
753 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
754 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
755 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
759 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
760 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
761 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
765 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
766 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
767 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
768 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
769 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
770 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
771 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
772 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
773 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
774 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
775 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
776 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
777 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
778 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
779 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
780 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
781 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
782 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
786 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
787 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
788 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
789 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
790 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
794 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
795 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
796 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
797 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
801 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
802 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
803 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
804 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
805 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
809 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
810 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
811 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
812 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
813 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
814 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
815 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
816 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
820 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
821 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
822 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
823 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
824 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
825 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
826 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
827 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
828 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
832 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
833 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
834 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
835 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
836 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
840 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
841 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
842 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
843 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
847 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
848 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
849 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
850 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
851 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
852 * Group Info:: The group info format.
853 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
854 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
855 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
859 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
860 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
861 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
862 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
863 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
864 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
868 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
869 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
873 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
874 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
880 @chapter Starting gnus
885 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
886 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
889 @findex gnus-other-frame
890 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
891 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
892 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
894 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
895 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
896 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
898 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
899 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
902 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
903 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
904 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
905 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
906 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
907 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
908 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
909 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
910 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
911 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
912 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
916 @node Finding the News
917 @section Finding the News
920 @vindex gnus-select-method
922 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
923 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
924 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
925 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
928 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
929 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
932 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
935 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
938 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
941 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
942 certainly be much faster.
944 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
946 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
947 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
948 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
949 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
950 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
951 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
953 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
954 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
955 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
956 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
958 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
959 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
960 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
961 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
962 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
963 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
964 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
965 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
966 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
969 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
971 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
972 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
973 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
974 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
975 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
976 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
978 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
980 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
981 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
982 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
983 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
984 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
985 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
988 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
989 would typically set this variable to
992 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
997 @section The First Time
998 @cindex first time usage
1000 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1001 be subscribed by default.
1003 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1004 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1005 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1006 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1009 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1010 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1011 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1013 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1014 help you with most common problems.
1016 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1017 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1021 @node The Server is Down
1022 @section The Server is Down
1023 @cindex server errors
1025 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1026 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1027 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1029 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1030 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1031 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1032 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1033 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1034 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1035 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1037 @findex gnus-no-server
1038 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1040 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1041 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1042 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1043 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1044 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1045 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1046 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1050 @section Slave Gnusae
1053 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1054 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1055 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1056 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1058 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1059 @code{.newsrc} file.
1061 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1062 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1063 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1064 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1065 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1066 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1067 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1069 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1070 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1071 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1072 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1073 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1074 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1075 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1076 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1078 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1079 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1082 @node Fetching a Group
1083 @section Fetching a Group
1084 @cindex fetching a group
1086 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1087 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1088 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1089 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1090 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1091 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1097 @cindex subscription
1099 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1100 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1101 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1102 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1103 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1104 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1105 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1106 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1107 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1110 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1111 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
1112 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
1116 @node Checking New Groups
1117 @subsection Checking New Groups
1119 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1120 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1121 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1122 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1123 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1124 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1125 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1126 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1127 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1128 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1130 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1131 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1132 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1133 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1134 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1135 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1136 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1137 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1138 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1139 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1140 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1142 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1143 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1144 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1145 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1146 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1147 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1150 @node Subscription Methods
1151 @subsection Subscription Methods
1153 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1154 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1155 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1157 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1158 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1160 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1164 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1165 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1166 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1167 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1168 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1170 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1171 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1172 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1173 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1175 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1176 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1177 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1181 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1182 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1183 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1184 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1185 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1186 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1187 up. Or something like that.
1189 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1190 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1191 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1192 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1193 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1195 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1196 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1197 Kill all new groups.
1199 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1200 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1201 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1202 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1203 topic parameter that looks like
1209 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1212 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1217 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1218 A closely related variable is
1219 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1220 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1221 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1222 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1225 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1226 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1227 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1228 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1231 @node Filtering New Groups
1232 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1234 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1235 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1236 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1239 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1243 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1244 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1245 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1246 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1247 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1248 subscribing these groups.
1249 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1250 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1252 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1253 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1254 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1255 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1256 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1257 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1258 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1259 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1261 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1262 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1263 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1264 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1265 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1266 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1267 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1268 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1269 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1270 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1272 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1273 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1276 @node Changing Servers
1277 @section Changing Servers
1278 @cindex changing servers
1280 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1281 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1282 very flaky and you want to use another.
1284 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1285 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1289 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1290 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1291 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1292 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1295 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1296 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1297 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1298 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1300 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1301 @findex gnus-change-server
1302 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1303 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1304 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1305 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1306 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1308 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1309 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1310 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1311 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1312 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1314 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1315 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1316 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1317 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1318 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1319 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1321 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1322 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1323 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1327 @section Startup Files
1328 @cindex startup files
1333 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1334 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1336 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1337 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1338 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1339 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1340 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1341 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1342 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1344 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1345 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1346 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1347 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1348 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1349 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1351 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1352 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1353 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1354 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1355 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1356 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1357 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1358 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1359 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1360 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1362 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1363 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1364 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1365 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1366 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1367 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1368 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1369 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1370 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1371 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1372 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1373 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1375 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1376 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1377 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1378 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1380 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1381 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1382 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1383 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1384 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1385 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1386 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1387 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1388 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1389 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1392 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1393 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1395 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1396 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1399 @vindex gnus-init-file
1400 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1401 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1402 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1403 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1404 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1405 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1406 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1407 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1408 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1414 @cindex dribble file
1417 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1418 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1419 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1420 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1421 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1424 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1425 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1428 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1429 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1430 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1432 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1433 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1434 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1435 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1436 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1437 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1439 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1440 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1441 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1444 @node The Active File
1445 @section The Active File
1447 @cindex ignored groups
1449 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1450 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1451 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1453 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1454 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1455 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1456 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1457 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1458 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1459 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1462 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1463 @c if you set it to anything else.
1465 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1467 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1468 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1469 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1471 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1472 you actually subscribe to.
1474 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1475 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1476 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1477 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1479 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1480 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1481 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1482 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1483 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1484 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1486 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1487 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1488 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1491 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1492 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1493 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1494 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1495 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1496 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1498 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1499 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1501 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1502 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1504 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1505 secondary select methods.
1508 @node Startup Variables
1509 @section Startup Variables
1513 @item gnus-load-hook
1514 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1515 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1516 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1517 times you start gnus.
1519 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1520 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1521 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1523 @item gnus-startup-hook
1524 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1525 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1527 @item gnus-started-hook
1528 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1529 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1532 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1533 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1534 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1535 generating the group buffer.
1537 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1538 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1539 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1540 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1541 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1542 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1543 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1544 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1546 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1547 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1548 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1549 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1550 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1551 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1553 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1554 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1555 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1557 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1558 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1559 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1561 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1562 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1563 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1564 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1569 @node The Group Buffer
1570 @chapter The Group Buffer
1571 @cindex group buffer
1573 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1574 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1575 long as gnus is active.
1579 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1580 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1581 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1582 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1583 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1584 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1585 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1586 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1592 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1593 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1594 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1595 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1596 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1597 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1598 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1599 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1600 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1601 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1602 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1603 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1604 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1605 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1606 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1607 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1608 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1612 @node Group Buffer Format
1613 @section Group Buffer Format
1616 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1617 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1618 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1622 @node Group Line Specification
1623 @subsection Group Line Specification
1624 @cindex group buffer format
1626 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1627 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1629 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1632 25: news.announce.newusers
1633 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1638 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1639 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1640 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1641 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1643 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1644 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1645 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1646 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1647 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1648 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1650 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1652 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1653 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1654 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1655 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1658 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1659 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1660 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1662 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1667 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1670 Whether the group is subscribed.
1673 Level of subscribedness.
1676 Number of unread articles.
1679 Number of dormant articles.
1682 Number of ticked articles.
1685 Number of read articles.
1688 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1689 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1692 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1695 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1704 Newsgroup description.
1707 @samp{m} if moderated.
1710 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1719 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1723 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1726 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1727 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1728 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1729 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1730 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1733 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1735 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1739 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1742 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1746 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1747 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1748 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1749 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1750 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1751 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1756 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1757 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1758 group, or a bogus native group.
1761 @node Group Modeline Specification
1762 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1763 @cindex group modeline
1765 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1766 The mode line can be changed by setting
1767 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1768 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1772 The native news server.
1774 The native select method.
1778 @node Group Highlighting
1779 @subsection Group Highlighting
1780 @cindex highlighting
1781 @cindex group highlighting
1783 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1784 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1785 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1786 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1787 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1789 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1793 (cond (window-system
1794 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1795 (defface my-group-face-1
1796 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1797 (defface my-group-face-2
1798 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1799 (defface my-group-face-3
1800 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1801 (defface my-group-face-4
1802 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1803 (defface my-group-face-5
1804 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1806 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1807 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1808 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1809 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1810 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1811 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1814 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1816 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1823 The number of unread articles in the group.
1827 Whether the group is a mail group.
1829 The level of the group.
1831 The score of the group.
1833 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1835 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1836 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1838 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1839 topic being inserted.
1842 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1843 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1844 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1846 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1847 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1848 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1849 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1850 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1853 @node Group Maneuvering
1854 @section Group Maneuvering
1855 @cindex group movement
1857 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1858 expected, hopefully.
1864 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1865 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1866 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1872 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1873 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1874 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1878 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1879 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1883 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1884 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1888 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1889 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1890 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1894 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1895 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1896 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1899 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1905 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1906 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1907 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1912 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1913 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1914 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1918 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1919 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1920 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1923 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1924 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1925 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1926 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1930 @node Selecting a Group
1931 @section Selecting a Group
1932 @cindex group selection
1937 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1938 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1939 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1940 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1941 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1942 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1943 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1944 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1945 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1946 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1948 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1949 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1950 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1952 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1953 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1958 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1959 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1960 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1961 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1962 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1966 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1967 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1968 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1969 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1970 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1971 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1972 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1973 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1974 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1975 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1978 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1979 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1980 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1981 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1982 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1985 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1986 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1987 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1988 doing any processing of its contents
1989 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1990 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1991 manner will have no permanent effects.
1995 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1996 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
1997 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1998 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
1999 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2000 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2001 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2002 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2005 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2006 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2007 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2008 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2013 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2014 full summary buffer.
2017 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2020 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2025 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2026 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2027 Useful functions include:
2030 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2031 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2032 don't select the article.
2034 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2035 Select the first unread article.
2037 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2038 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2042 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2043 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2044 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2048 @node Subscription Commands
2049 @section Subscription Commands
2050 @cindex subscription
2058 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2059 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2060 Toggle subscription to the current group
2061 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2067 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2068 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2069 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2070 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2076 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2077 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2078 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2084 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2085 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2088 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2090 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2091 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2092 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2098 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2099 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2103 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2104 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2107 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2108 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2109 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2110 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2111 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2112 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2113 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2114 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2115 @file{.newsrc} file.
2119 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2129 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2130 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2131 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2132 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2133 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2134 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2139 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2140 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2141 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2145 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2146 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2147 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2149 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2150 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2151 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2152 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2153 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2154 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2161 @section Group Levels
2165 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2166 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2167 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2168 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2169 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2171 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2177 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2178 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2179 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2180 prompted for a level.
2183 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2184 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2185 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2186 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2187 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2188 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2189 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2190 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2191 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2192 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2193 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2194 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2195 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2196 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2197 reasons of efficiency.
2199 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2200 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2202 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2203 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2204 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2205 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2206 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2207 groups are hidden, in a way.
2209 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2210 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2211 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2212 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2213 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2214 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2216 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2217 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2218 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2219 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2220 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2221 list of killed groups.)
2223 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2224 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2225 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2227 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2228 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2229 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2230 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2231 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2232 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2233 relevant valid ranges.
2235 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2236 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2237 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2238 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2239 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2240 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2243 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2244 one with the best level.
2246 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2247 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2248 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2251 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2252 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2253 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2254 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2257 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2258 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2259 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2260 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2262 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2263 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2264 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2265 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2266 to 5. The default is 6.
2270 @section Group Score
2275 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2276 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2277 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2280 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2281 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2282 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2283 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2284 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2285 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2286 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2287 least significant part.))
2289 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2290 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2291 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2292 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2293 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2294 action after each summary exit, you can add
2295 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2296 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2297 slow things down somewhat.
2300 @node Marking Groups
2301 @section Marking Groups
2302 @cindex marking groups
2304 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2305 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2306 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2307 bidding on those groups.
2309 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2310 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2311 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2319 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2320 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2326 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2327 Remove the mark from the current group
2328 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2332 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2333 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2337 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2338 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2342 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2343 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2347 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2348 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2349 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2352 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2354 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2355 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2356 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2357 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2358 the command to be executed.
2361 @node Foreign Groups
2362 @section Foreign Groups
2363 @cindex foreign groups
2365 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2366 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2367 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2368 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2375 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2376 @cindex making groups
2377 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2378 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2379 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2383 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2384 @cindex renaming groups
2385 Rename the current group to something else
2386 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2387 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2393 @findex gnus-group-customize
2394 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2398 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2399 @cindex renaming groups
2400 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2401 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2405 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2406 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2407 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2411 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2412 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2413 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2417 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2419 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2420 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2425 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2426 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2430 @cindex (ding) archive
2431 @cindex archive group
2432 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2433 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2434 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2435 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2436 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2437 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2438 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2442 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2444 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2445 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2446 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2447 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2451 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2453 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2454 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2455 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2459 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2460 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2462 Make a group based on some file or other
2463 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2464 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2465 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2466 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2467 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2468 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2469 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2473 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2474 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2475 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2476 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2485 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2486 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2487 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2488 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2489 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2490 @xref{Web Searches}.
2492 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2493 to a particular group by using a match string like
2494 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2497 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2498 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2499 This function will delete the current group
2500 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2501 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2502 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2503 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2504 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2508 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2509 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2510 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2514 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2515 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2516 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2519 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2522 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2523 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2524 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2525 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2526 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2527 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2531 @node Group Parameters
2532 @section Group Parameters
2533 @cindex group parameters
2535 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2536 Here's an example group parameter list:
2539 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2543 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2544 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2545 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2546 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2548 The following group parameters can be used:
2553 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2556 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2559 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2560 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2561 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2562 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2563 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2565 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2566 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2567 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2568 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2569 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2570 list address instead.
2574 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2577 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2580 It is totally ignored
2581 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2582 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2584 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2585 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2586 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2587 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2588 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2590 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2591 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2592 sending the message.
2596 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2597 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2598 of whether it has any unread articles.
2600 @item broken-reply-to
2601 @cindex broken-reply-to
2602 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2603 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2604 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2605 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2606 broken behavior. So there!
2610 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2611 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2615 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2616 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2617 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2622 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2623 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2624 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2625 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2626 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2627 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2628 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2632 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2633 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2634 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2637 @cindex total-expire
2638 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2639 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2640 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2641 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2646 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2647 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2648 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2649 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2650 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2651 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2654 @cindex score file group parameter
2655 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2656 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2657 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2660 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2661 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2662 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2663 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2666 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2667 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2668 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2669 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2672 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2673 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2677 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2680 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2685 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2686 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2687 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2691 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2692 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2693 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2695 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2696 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2697 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2698 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2699 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2700 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2701 @code{eval}ed there.
2703 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2704 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2705 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2706 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2707 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2710 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2711 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2712 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2713 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2714 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2716 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2717 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2718 like this in the group parameters:
2723 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2727 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2728 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2729 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2730 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2731 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2735 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2736 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2737 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2738 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2739 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2742 @node Listing Groups
2743 @section Listing Groups
2744 @cindex group listing
2746 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2754 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2755 List all groups that have unread articles
2756 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2757 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2758 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2759 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2766 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2767 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2768 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2769 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2770 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2771 unsubscribed groups).
2775 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2776 List all unread groups on a specific level
2777 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2778 with no unread articles.
2782 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2783 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2784 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2785 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2790 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2791 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2795 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2796 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2797 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2801 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2802 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2806 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2807 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2808 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2809 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2810 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2811 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2812 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2813 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2817 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2818 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2819 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2823 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2824 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2825 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2829 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2830 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2834 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2835 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2839 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2840 List groups limited within the current selection
2841 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2845 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2846 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2850 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2851 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2855 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2856 @cindex visible group parameter
2857 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2858 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2859 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2860 get the same effect.
2862 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2863 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2864 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2865 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2866 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2869 @node Sorting Groups
2870 @section Sorting Groups
2871 @cindex sorting groups
2873 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2874 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2875 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2876 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2877 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2878 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2883 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2884 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2885 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2887 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2888 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2889 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2891 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2892 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2893 Sort by group level.
2895 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2896 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2897 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2899 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2900 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2901 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2902 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2904 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2905 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2906 Sort by number of unread articles.
2908 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2909 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2910 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2912 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2913 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2914 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2919 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2920 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2924 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2925 some sorting criteria:
2929 @kindex G S a (Group)
2930 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2931 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2932 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2935 @kindex G S u (Group)
2936 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2937 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2938 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2941 @kindex G S l (Group)
2942 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2943 Sort the group buffer by group level
2944 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2947 @kindex G S v (Group)
2948 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2949 Sort the group buffer by group score
2950 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2953 @kindex G S r (Group)
2954 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2955 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2956 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2959 @kindex G S m (Group)
2960 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2961 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2962 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2966 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2967 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2969 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2970 commands will sort in reverse order.
2972 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2976 @kindex G P a (Group)
2977 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2978 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2979 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2982 @kindex G P u (Group)
2983 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2984 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2985 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2988 @kindex G P l (Group)
2989 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2990 Sort the groups by group level
2991 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2994 @kindex G P v (Group)
2995 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2996 Sort the groups by group score
2997 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3000 @kindex G P r (Group)
3001 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3002 Sort the groups by group rank
3003 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3006 @kindex G P m (Group)
3007 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3008 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3009 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3015 @node Group Maintenance
3016 @section Group Maintenance
3017 @cindex bogus groups
3022 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3023 Find bogus groups and delete them
3024 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3028 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3029 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3030 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3031 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3032 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3036 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3037 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3038 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3039 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
3042 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3043 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3044 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
3045 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3050 @node Browse Foreign Server
3051 @section Browse Foreign Server
3052 @cindex foreign servers
3053 @cindex browsing servers
3058 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3059 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3060 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3061 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3064 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3065 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3066 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3067 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3069 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3074 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3075 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3079 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3080 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3083 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3084 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3085 Enter the current group and display the first article
3086 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3089 @kindex RET (Browse)
3090 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3091 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3095 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3096 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3097 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3103 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3104 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3108 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3109 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3110 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3115 @section Exiting gnus
3116 @cindex exiting gnus
3118 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3123 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3124 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3125 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3126 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3130 @findex gnus-group-exit
3131 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3132 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3136 @findex gnus-group-quit
3137 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3138 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3141 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3142 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3143 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3144 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3145 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3150 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3151 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3152 trying to customize meta-variables.
3157 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3158 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3159 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3165 @section Group Topics
3168 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3169 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3170 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3171 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3172 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3173 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3177 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3178 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3189 2: alt.religion.emacs
3192 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3194 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3195 13: comp.sources.unix
3198 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3200 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3201 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3202 is a toggling command.)
3204 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3205 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3206 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3207 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3210 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3211 the hook for the group mode:
3214 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3218 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3219 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3220 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3221 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3222 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3226 @node Topic Variables
3227 @subsection Topic Variables
3228 @cindex topic variables
3230 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3231 really neat, I think.
3233 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3234 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3235 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3248 Number of groups in the topic.
3250 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3252 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3255 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3256 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3257 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3260 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3261 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3263 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3264 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3265 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3268 @node Topic Commands
3269 @subsection Topic Commands
3270 @cindex topic commands
3272 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3273 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3274 definitions slightly.
3280 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3281 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3282 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3286 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3287 Move the current group to some other topic
3288 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3289 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3293 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3294 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3298 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3299 Copy the current group to some other topic
3300 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3301 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3305 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3306 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3307 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3311 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3312 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3313 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3317 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3318 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3319 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3320 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3321 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3322 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3323 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3326 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3327 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3331 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3332 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3333 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3337 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3338 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3339 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3343 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3344 Toggle hiding empty topics
3345 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3349 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3350 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3351 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3354 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3355 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3356 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3357 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3361 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3363 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3364 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3365 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3366 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3369 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3370 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3371 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3372 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3376 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3378 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3379 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3380 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3381 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3382 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3383 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3386 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3387 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3388 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
3389 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
3393 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3394 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3395 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3399 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3400 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3401 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3406 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3407 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3410 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3411 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3412 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3416 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3417 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3418 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3422 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3423 @cindex group parameters
3424 @cindex topic parameters
3426 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3427 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3433 @subsection Topic Sorting
3434 @cindex topic sorting
3436 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3442 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3443 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3444 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3445 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3448 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3449 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3450 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3451 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3454 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3455 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3456 Sort the current topic by group level
3457 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3460 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3461 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3462 Sort the current topic by group score
3463 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3466 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3467 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3468 Sort the current topic by group rank
3469 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3472 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3473 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3474 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3475 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3479 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3482 @node Topic Topology
3483 @subsection Topic Topology
3484 @cindex topic topology
3487 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3493 2: alt.religion.emacs
3496 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3498 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3499 13: comp.sources.unix
3502 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3503 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3504 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3509 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3510 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3514 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3515 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3516 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3517 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3518 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3519 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3521 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3522 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3523 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3526 @node Topic Parameters
3527 @subsection Topic Parameters
3528 @cindex topic parameters
3530 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3531 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3532 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3534 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3539 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3540 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3541 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3546 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3547 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3548 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3549 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3555 2: alt.religion.emacs
3559 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3561 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3562 13: comp.sources.unix
3566 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3567 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3568 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3569 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3570 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3571 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3573 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3574 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3575 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3576 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3577 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3579 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3580 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3581 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3582 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3583 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3584 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3585 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3586 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3589 @node Misc Group Stuff
3590 @section Misc Group Stuff
3593 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3594 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3595 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3596 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3603 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3604 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3605 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3609 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3610 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3611 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3615 @findex gnus-group-mail
3616 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3620 Variables for the group buffer:
3624 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3625 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3626 is called after the group buffer has been
3629 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3630 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3631 is called after the group buffer is
3632 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3635 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3636 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3637 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3638 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3640 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3641 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3642 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3643 whether they are empty or not.
3645 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3646 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3647 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3648 non-ASCII group names.
3652 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3653 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3656 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3657 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3658 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3659 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3663 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3664 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3669 @node Scanning New Messages
3670 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3671 @cindex new messages
3672 @cindex scanning new news
3678 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3679 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3680 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3681 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3682 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3683 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3688 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3689 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3690 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3691 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3692 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3693 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3694 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3696 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3697 @cindex activating groups
3699 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3700 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3705 @findex gnus-group-restart
3706 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3707 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3708 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3712 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3713 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3715 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3716 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3720 @node Group Information
3721 @subsection Group Information
3722 @cindex group information
3723 @cindex information on groups
3730 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3731 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3734 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3735 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3736 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3737 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3738 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3739 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3740 for fetching the file.
3742 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3743 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3747 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3749 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3750 @cindex describing groups
3751 @cindex group description
3752 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3753 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3754 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3758 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3759 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3760 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3767 @findex gnus-version
3768 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3772 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3773 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3776 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3779 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3780 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3784 @node Group Timestamp
3785 @subsection Group Timestamp
3787 @cindex group timestamps
3789 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3790 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3791 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3794 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3797 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3799 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3800 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3803 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3804 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3807 This will result in lines looking like:
3810 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3811 0: custom 19961002T012713
3814 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3815 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3819 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3820 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3825 @subsection File Commands
3826 @cindex file commands
3832 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3833 @vindex gnus-init-file
3834 @cindex reading init file
3835 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3836 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3840 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3841 @cindex saving .newsrc
3842 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3843 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3844 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3847 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3848 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3849 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3854 @node The Summary Buffer
3855 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3856 @cindex summary buffer
3858 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3859 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3861 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3862 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3864 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3867 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3868 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3869 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3870 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3871 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3872 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3873 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3874 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3875 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3876 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3877 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3878 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3879 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3880 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3881 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3882 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3883 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3884 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3885 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3886 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3887 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3888 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3889 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3890 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3891 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3892 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3893 or reselecting the current group.
3894 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3895 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3896 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3900 @node Summary Buffer Format
3901 @section Summary Buffer Format
3902 @cindex summary buffer format
3906 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3907 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3908 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3914 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3915 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3916 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3917 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3920 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3921 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3922 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3923 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3924 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3925 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3926 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3927 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3928 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3929 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3930 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3931 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3932 other function instead:
3935 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3936 'mail-extract-address-components)
3939 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3940 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3941 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3942 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3945 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3946 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3948 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3949 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3950 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3951 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3952 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3954 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3956 The following format specification characters are understood:
3962 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3963 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3965 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3966 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3967 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3969 Full @code{From} header.
3971 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3973 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3974 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3976 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3977 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3978 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3979 may be more thorough.
3981 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3984 Number of lines in the article.
3986 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
3987 methods (like nnfolder).
3989 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3991 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3992 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3994 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3995 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3997 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3998 for adopted articles.
4000 One space for each thread level.
4002 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4007 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4008 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4012 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4014 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4015 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4016 default level. If the difference between
4017 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4018 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4026 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4028 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4034 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4035 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4037 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4038 article has any children.
4044 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4045 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4046 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4047 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4048 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4049 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4052 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4053 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4054 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4055 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4056 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4057 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4059 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4060 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4062 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4065 @node To From Newsgroups
4066 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4070 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4071 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4072 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4073 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4074 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4078 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4079 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4080 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4084 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4085 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4088 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4089 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4092 @findex gnus-extra-header
4093 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4094 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4095 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4098 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4102 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4103 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4104 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4105 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4106 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4107 headers are used instead.
4111 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4112 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4113 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4114 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4117 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4118 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4119 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4120 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4122 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4126 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4128 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4129 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4130 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4131 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4135 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4136 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4143 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4144 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4147 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4148 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4150 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4151 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4152 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4153 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4155 Here are the elements you can play with:
4161 Unprefixed group name.
4163 Current article number.
4165 Current article score.
4169 Number of unread articles in this group.
4171 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4174 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4175 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4176 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4177 and no unselected ones.
4179 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4180 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4182 Subject of the current article.
4184 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4186 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4188 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4190 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4192 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4194 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4198 @node Summary Highlighting
4199 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4203 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4204 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4205 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4206 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4207 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4209 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4210 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4211 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4212 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4214 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4215 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4216 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4217 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4219 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4220 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4221 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4222 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4223 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4224 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4227 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4228 ((> score default) . bold))
4230 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4231 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4235 @node Summary Maneuvering
4236 @section Summary Maneuvering
4237 @cindex summary movement
4239 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4240 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4242 None of these commands select articles.
4247 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4248 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4249 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4250 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4251 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4255 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4256 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4257 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4258 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4259 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4262 @kindex G g (Summary)
4263 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4264 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4265 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4268 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4269 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4270 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4271 to the group buffer.
4273 Variables related to summary movement:
4277 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4278 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4279 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4280 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4281 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4282 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4283 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4284 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4285 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4286 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4287 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4288 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4289 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4290 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4292 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4293 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4294 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4295 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4296 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4297 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4298 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4300 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4302 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4303 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4304 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4305 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4306 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4308 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4309 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4310 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4311 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4312 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4313 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4314 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4315 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4318 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4319 the given number of lines from the top.
4324 @node Choosing Articles
4325 @section Choosing Articles
4326 @cindex selecting articles
4329 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4330 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4334 @node Choosing Commands
4335 @subsection Choosing Commands
4337 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4338 and they all select and display an article.
4340 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4341 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4345 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4346 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4347 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4348 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4353 @kindex G n (Summary)
4354 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4355 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4356 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4361 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4362 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4363 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4368 @kindex G N (Summary)
4369 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4370 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4375 @kindex G P (Summary)
4376 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4377 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4380 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4381 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4382 Go to the next article with the same subject
4383 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4386 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4387 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4388 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4389 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4393 @kindex G f (Summary)
4395 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4396 Go to the first unread article
4397 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4401 @kindex G b (Summary)
4403 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4404 Go to the article with the highest score
4405 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4410 @kindex G l (Summary)
4411 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4412 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4415 @kindex G o (Summary)
4416 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4418 @cindex article history
4419 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4420 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4421 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4422 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4423 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4424 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4429 @kindex G j (Summary)
4430 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4431 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4432 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4437 @node Choosing Variables
4438 @subsection Choosing Variables
4440 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4443 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4444 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4445 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4446 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4447 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4448 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4450 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4451 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4452 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4453 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4455 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4456 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4457 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4458 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4459 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4460 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4461 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4462 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4463 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4464 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4465 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4466 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4467 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4468 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4473 @node Paging the Article
4474 @section Scrolling the Article
4475 @cindex article scrolling
4480 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4481 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4482 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4483 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4484 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4487 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4488 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4489 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4492 @kindex RET (Summary)
4493 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4494 Scroll the current article one line forward
4495 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4498 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4499 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4500 Scroll the current article one line backward
4501 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4505 @kindex A g (Summary)
4507 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4508 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4509 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4510 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4511 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4512 the way it came from the server.
4514 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4515 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4516 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4519 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4524 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4529 @kindex A < (Summary)
4530 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4531 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4532 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4537 @kindex A > (Summary)
4538 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4539 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4543 @kindex A s (Summary)
4545 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4546 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4547 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4551 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4552 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4557 @node Reply Followup and Post
4558 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4561 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4562 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4563 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4564 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4568 @node Summary Mail Commands
4569 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4571 @cindex composing mail
4573 Commands for composing a mail message:
4579 @kindex S r (Summary)
4581 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4582 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4583 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4584 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4585 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4590 @kindex S R (Summary)
4591 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4592 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4593 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4594 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4595 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4598 @kindex S w (Summary)
4599 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4600 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4601 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4602 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4603 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4606 @kindex S W (Summary)
4607 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4608 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4609 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4610 the process/prefix convention.
4614 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4615 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4616 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4617 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4618 Forward the current article to some other person
4619 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4620 headers of the forwarded article.
4625 @kindex S m (Summary)
4626 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4627 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4628 Send a mail to some other person
4629 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4632 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4633 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4634 @cindex bouncing mail
4635 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4636 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4637 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4638 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4639 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4640 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4641 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4642 very well fail, though.
4645 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4646 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4647 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4648 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4649 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4650 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4651 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4652 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4653 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4654 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4656 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4657 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4658 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4659 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4660 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4662 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4663 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4666 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4667 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4668 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4669 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4670 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4673 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4674 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4675 @cindex crossposting
4676 @cindex excessive crossposting
4677 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4678 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4680 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4681 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4682 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4683 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4684 command understands the process/prefix convention
4685 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4689 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4692 @node Summary Post Commands
4693 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4695 @cindex composing news
4697 Commands for posting a news article:
4703 @kindex S p (Summary)
4704 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4705 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4706 Post an article to the current group
4707 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4712 @kindex S f (Summary)
4713 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4714 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4715 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4719 @kindex S F (Summary)
4721 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4722 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4723 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4724 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4725 process/prefix convention.
4728 @kindex S n (Summary)
4729 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4730 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4731 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4734 @kindex S N (Summary)
4735 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4736 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4737 message through mail and include the original message
4738 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4739 the process/prefix convention.
4742 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4743 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4744 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4745 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4746 headers of the forwarded article.
4749 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4750 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4752 @cindex making digests
4753 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4754 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4755 process/prefix convention.
4758 @kindex S u (Summary)
4759 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4760 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4761 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4762 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4765 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4768 @node Summary Message Commands
4769 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4773 @kindex S y (Summary)
4774 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4775 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4776 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4777 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4778 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4783 @node Canceling and Superseding
4784 @subsection Canceling Articles
4785 @cindex canceling articles
4786 @cindex superseding articles
4788 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4789 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4791 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4793 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4795 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4796 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4797 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4798 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4799 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4800 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4802 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4803 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4806 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4807 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4808 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4810 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4811 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4812 your original article.
4814 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4816 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4817 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4818 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4821 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4822 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4823 have posted almost the same article twice.
4825 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4826 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4827 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4828 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4829 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4830 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4831 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4832 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4833 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4834 canceled/superseded.
4836 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4839 @node Marking Articles
4840 @section Marking Articles
4841 @cindex article marking
4842 @cindex article ticking
4845 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4847 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4848 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4849 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4851 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4854 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4855 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4856 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4860 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4864 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4865 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4866 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4870 @node Unread Articles
4871 @subsection Unread Articles
4873 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4878 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4879 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4881 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4882 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4883 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4884 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4885 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4889 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4890 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4892 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4893 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4894 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4897 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4898 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4900 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4905 @subsection Read Articles
4906 @cindex expirable mark
4908 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4913 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4914 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4915 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4918 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4919 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4922 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4923 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4924 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4927 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4928 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4931 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4932 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4935 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4936 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4939 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4940 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4943 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4944 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4947 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4948 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4951 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4952 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4956 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4957 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4958 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4962 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4963 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4965 One more special mark, though:
4969 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4970 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4972 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4973 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4974 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4975 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
4981 @subsection Other Marks
4982 @cindex process mark
4985 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4991 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4992 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4993 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4994 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4995 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4998 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4999 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5000 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5001 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5004 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5005 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5006 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5009 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5010 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5011 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5012 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5015 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5016 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5017 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5018 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5019 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5022 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5023 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5024 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5025 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5026 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5027 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5031 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5032 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5033 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5035 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5036 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5037 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5041 @subsection Setting Marks
5042 @cindex setting marks
5044 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5049 @kindex M c (Summary)
5050 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5051 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5052 @cindex mark as unread
5053 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5054 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5060 @kindex M t (Summary)
5061 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5062 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5063 @xref{Article Caching}.
5068 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5069 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5070 Mark the current article as dormant
5071 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5075 @kindex M d (Summary)
5077 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5078 Mark the current article as read
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5083 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5084 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5085 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5090 @kindex M k (Summary)
5091 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5092 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5093 and then select the next unread article
5094 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5098 @kindex M K (Summary)
5099 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5100 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5101 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5102 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5105 @kindex M C (Summary)
5106 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5107 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5108 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5111 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5113 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5114 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5117 @kindex M H (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5119 Catchup the current group to point
5120 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5123 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5125 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5126 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5129 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5131 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5132 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5136 @kindex M e (Summary)
5138 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5139 Mark the current article as expirable
5140 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5143 @kindex M b (Summary)
5144 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5145 Set a bookmark in the current article
5146 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5149 @kindex M B (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5151 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5155 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5156 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5157 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5158 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5161 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5163 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5164 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5167 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5169 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5170 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5174 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5175 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5176 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5177 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5178 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5179 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5180 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5181 The default is @code{t}.
5184 @node Generic Marking Commands
5185 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5187 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5188 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5189 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5190 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5191 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5194 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5195 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5198 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5199 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5200 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5201 to list in this manual.
5203 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5204 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5205 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5206 article, you could say something like:
5209 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5210 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5211 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5217 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5218 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5222 @node Setting Process Marks
5223 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5224 @cindex setting process marks
5231 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5232 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5233 Mark the current article with the process mark
5234 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5235 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5239 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5240 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5241 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5242 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5245 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5246 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5247 Remove the process mark from all articles
5248 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5251 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5252 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5253 Invert the list of process marked articles
5254 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5257 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5258 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5259 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5260 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5263 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5264 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5265 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5266 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5269 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5270 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5271 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5274 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5276 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5277 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5280 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5281 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5282 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5283 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5286 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5287 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5288 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5289 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5292 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5294 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5297 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5298 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5299 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5300 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5303 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5305 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5308 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5309 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5310 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5311 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5314 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5315 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5316 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5317 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5320 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5321 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5322 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5323 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5326 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5327 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5328 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5329 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5333 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5334 set process marks based on article body contents.
5341 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5342 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5343 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5346 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5347 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5348 additional articles.
5354 @kindex / / (Summary)
5355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5356 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5360 @kindex / a (Summary)
5361 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5362 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5363 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5366 @kindex / x (Summary)
5367 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5368 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5369 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5370 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5374 @kindex / u (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5377 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5378 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5379 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5380 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5383 @kindex / m (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5385 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5386 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5389 @kindex / t (Summary)
5390 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5391 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5392 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5393 articles younger than that number of days.
5396 @kindex / n (Summary)
5397 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5398 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5399 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5400 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5403 @kindex / w (Summary)
5404 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5405 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5406 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5410 @kindex / v (Summary)
5411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5412 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5413 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5417 @kindex M S (Summary)
5418 @kindex / E (Summary)
5419 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5420 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5421 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5424 @kindex / D (Summary)
5425 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5426 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5427 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5430 @kindex / * (Summary)
5431 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5432 Include all cached articles in the limit
5433 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5436 @kindex / d (Summary)
5437 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5438 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5439 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5442 @kindex / M (Summary)
5443 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5444 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5447 @kindex / T (Summary)
5448 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5449 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5452 @kindex / c (Summary)
5453 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5454 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5455 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5458 @kindex / C (Summary)
5459 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5460 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5461 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5462 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5470 @cindex article threading
5472 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5473 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5474 hierarchical fashion.
5476 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5477 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5478 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5479 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5480 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5481 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5482 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5484 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5488 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5491 A tree-like article structure.
5494 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5497 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5498 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5499 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5500 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5501 called loose threads.
5503 @item thread gathering
5504 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5506 @item sparse threads
5507 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5508 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5514 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5515 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5519 @node Customizing Threading
5520 @subsection Customizing Threading
5521 @cindex customizing threading
5524 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5525 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5526 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5527 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5532 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5535 @cindex loose threads
5538 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5539 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5540 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5541 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5542 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5543 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5545 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
5546 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
5547 There are four possible values:
5551 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5552 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5553 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5554 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5555 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5560 @cindex adopting articles
5565 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5566 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5567 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5568 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5571 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5572 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5573 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5574 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5575 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5576 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5577 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5580 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5581 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5582 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5586 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5587 display them after one another.
5590 Don't gather loose threads.
5593 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5594 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5595 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5596 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
5597 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5598 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5599 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5600 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5601 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5602 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
5603 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5605 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5606 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
5607 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5610 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5611 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5612 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5613 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5614 simplification is used.
5616 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5617 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5618 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5619 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5621 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5623 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5629 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5630 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5631 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5632 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5637 (mapconcat 'identity
5638 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5640 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5643 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5646 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5647 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5648 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5649 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5650 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5651 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5653 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5656 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5657 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5658 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5660 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5661 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5664 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5665 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5666 Remove excessive whitespace.
5669 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5672 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5673 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5674 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5675 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5676 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5677 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5678 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5679 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5681 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5682 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5683 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5684 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5685 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5686 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5687 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5688 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5689 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5693 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5694 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5695 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5696 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5698 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5699 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5700 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5703 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5707 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5708 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5714 @node Filling In Threads
5715 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5718 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5719 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5720 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5721 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5722 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5723 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5724 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5725 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5726 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5727 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5728 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5729 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5731 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5732 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5733 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5735 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5736 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5737 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5738 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5739 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5740 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5741 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5742 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5743 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5744 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5745 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5746 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5747 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5748 @code{nil} by default.
5753 @node More Threading
5754 @subsubsection More Threading
5757 @item gnus-show-threads
5758 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5759 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5760 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5761 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5762 slower and more awkward.
5764 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5765 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5766 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5769 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5770 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5771 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5772 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5773 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5774 threads are expunged.
5776 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5777 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5778 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5781 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5782 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5783 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5784 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5785 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5788 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5789 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5790 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5793 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5794 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5795 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5796 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5797 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5798 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5799 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5800 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5801 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5802 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5803 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5808 @node Low-Level Threading
5809 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5813 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5814 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5815 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5816 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5817 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5818 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5820 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5821 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5822 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5823 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5824 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5825 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5826 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5827 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5828 meaningful. Here's one example:
5831 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5833 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5834 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5836 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5838 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5845 @node Thread Commands
5846 @subsection Thread Commands
5847 @cindex thread commands
5853 @kindex T k (Summary)
5854 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5855 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5856 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5857 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5858 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5863 @kindex T l (Summary)
5864 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5865 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5866 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5867 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5870 @kindex T i (Summary)
5871 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5872 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5873 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5876 @kindex T # (Summary)
5877 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5878 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5879 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5882 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5883 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5884 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5885 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5888 @kindex T T (Summary)
5889 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5890 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5893 @kindex T s (Summary)
5894 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5895 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5896 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5899 @kindex T h (Summary)
5900 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5901 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5904 @kindex T S (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5906 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5909 @kindex T H (Summary)
5910 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5911 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5914 @kindex T t (Summary)
5915 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5916 Re-thread the current article's thread
5917 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5918 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5921 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5922 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5923 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5924 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5928 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5929 understand the numeric prefix.
5934 @kindex T n (Summary)
5936 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
5938 @kindex M-down (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5940 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5943 @kindex T p (Summary)
5945 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
5947 @kindex M-up (Summary)
5948 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5949 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5952 @kindex T d (Summary)
5953 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5954 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5957 @kindex T u (Summary)
5958 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5959 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5962 @kindex T o (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5964 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5967 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5968 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5969 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5970 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5971 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5972 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5973 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5974 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5975 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5976 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5977 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5978 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5985 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5986 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5987 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5988 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5989 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5990 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5991 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5992 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5993 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5994 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5995 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5997 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5998 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5999 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6000 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6001 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6003 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6004 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6005 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6007 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6008 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6009 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6010 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6011 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6012 ascending article order.
6014 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6015 by number, you could do something like:
6018 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6019 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6020 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6021 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6024 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6025 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6026 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6027 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6028 which the articles arrived.
6030 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6034 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6036 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6037 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6040 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6041 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6042 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6043 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6046 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6047 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6048 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6049 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6050 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6051 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6052 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6053 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6054 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6055 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6056 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6057 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6058 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6060 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6064 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6065 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6066 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6071 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6072 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6073 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6074 @cindex article pre-fetch
6077 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6078 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6079 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6080 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6081 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6083 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6084 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6086 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6087 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6088 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6089 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6090 connection is blocked.
6092 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6093 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6094 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6095 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6097 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6098 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6099 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6100 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6103 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6106 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6107 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6108 happen automatically.
6110 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6111 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6112 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6113 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6114 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6115 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6116 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6118 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6119 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6120 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6121 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6122 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6123 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6124 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6125 data structure as the only parameter.
6127 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6130 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6131 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6132 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6133 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6136 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6139 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6140 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6141 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6143 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6144 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6145 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6146 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6150 Remove articles when they are read.
6153 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6156 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6158 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6159 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6160 @c from the next group.
6163 @node Article Caching
6164 @section Article Caching
6165 @cindex article caching
6168 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6169 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6170 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6171 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6172 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6174 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6176 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6177 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6178 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6179 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6180 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6181 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6182 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6183 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6185 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6186 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6187 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6188 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6189 as dormant, and don't worry.
6191 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6193 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6194 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6195 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6196 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6197 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6198 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6199 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6200 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6201 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6202 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6204 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6205 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6206 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6207 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6208 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6209 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6210 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6211 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6212 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6213 not then be downloaded by this command.
6215 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6216 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6217 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6218 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6219 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6220 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6222 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6223 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6224 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6225 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6226 variables, the group is not cached.
6228 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6229 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6230 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6231 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6232 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6233 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6234 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6235 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6236 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6240 @node Persistent Articles
6241 @section Persistent Articles
6242 @cindex persistent articles
6244 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6245 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6246 useful in my opinion.
6248 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6249 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6250 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6251 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6252 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6253 the expiry going on at the news server.
6255 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6256 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6257 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6263 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6264 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6267 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6268 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6269 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6270 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6274 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6276 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6277 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6278 interested in persistent articles:
6281 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6285 @node Article Backlog
6286 @section Article Backlog
6288 @cindex article backlog
6290 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6291 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6292 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6293 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6294 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6295 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6296 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6297 increase memory usage some.
6299 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6300 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6301 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6302 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6303 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6304 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6305 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6307 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6310 @node Saving Articles
6311 @section Saving Articles
6312 @cindex saving articles
6314 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6315 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6316 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6317 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6318 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6320 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6321 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6322 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6324 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6325 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6326 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6327 deleted before saving.
6333 @kindex O o (Summary)
6335 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6336 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6337 Save the current article using the default article saver
6338 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6341 @kindex O m (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6343 Save the current article in mail format
6344 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6347 @kindex O r (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6349 Save the current article in rmail format
6350 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6353 @kindex O f (Summary)
6354 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6355 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6356 Save the current article in plain file format
6357 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6360 @kindex O F (Summary)
6361 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6362 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6363 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6366 @kindex O b (Summary)
6367 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6368 Save the current article body in plain file format
6369 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6372 @kindex O h (Summary)
6373 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6374 Save the current article in mh folder format
6375 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6378 @kindex O v (Summary)
6379 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6380 Save the current article in a VM folder
6381 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6384 @kindex O p (Summary)
6385 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6386 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6387 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6390 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6391 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6392 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6393 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6394 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6395 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6396 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6397 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6398 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6399 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6400 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6401 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6405 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6406 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6407 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6408 functions below, or you can create your own.
6412 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6413 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6414 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6415 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6416 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6417 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6418 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6420 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6421 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6422 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6423 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6424 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6425 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6427 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6428 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6429 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6430 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6431 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6432 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6433 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6435 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6436 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6437 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6438 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6439 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6441 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6442 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6443 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6444 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6445 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6448 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6449 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6450 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6451 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6452 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6454 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6455 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6456 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6457 reader to use this setting.
6460 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6461 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6462 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6463 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6466 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6467 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6468 available functions that generate names:
6472 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6473 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6474 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6476 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6477 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6478 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6480 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6481 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6482 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6484 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6485 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6486 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6489 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6490 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6491 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6492 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6493 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6497 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6498 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6499 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6500 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6503 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6504 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6505 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6506 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6507 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6508 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6509 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6510 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6511 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6513 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6514 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6515 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6516 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6518 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6519 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6520 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6523 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6524 lots of mail groups called things like
6525 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6526 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6527 following will do just that:
6530 (defun my-save-name (group)
6531 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6532 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6534 (setq gnus-split-methods
6535 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6540 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6541 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6542 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6543 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6544 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6545 all the files in the top level directory
6546 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6547 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6548 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6549 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6551 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6552 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6553 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6554 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6555 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6558 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6562 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6563 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6566 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6567 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6568 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6569 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6572 @node Decoding Articles
6573 @section Decoding Articles
6574 @cindex decoding articles
6576 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6577 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6580 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6581 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6582 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6583 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6584 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6585 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6589 @cindex article series
6590 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6591 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6592 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6593 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6594 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6596 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6597 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6598 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6600 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
6601 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6602 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6604 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6605 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6606 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6609 @node Uuencoded Articles
6610 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6612 @cindex uuencoded articles
6617 @kindex X u (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6619 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6620 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6623 @kindex X U (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6625 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6626 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6629 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6631 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6634 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6635 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6636 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6637 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6641 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6642 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6643 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6644 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6645 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6647 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6648 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6649 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6650 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6653 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6654 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6655 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6656 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6657 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6658 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6662 @node Shell Archives
6663 @subsection Shell Archives
6665 @cindex shell archives
6666 @cindex shared articles
6668 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6669 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6670 some commands to deal with these:
6675 @kindex X s (Summary)
6676 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6677 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6680 @kindex X S (Summary)
6681 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6682 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6685 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6686 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6687 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6690 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6691 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6692 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6693 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6697 @node PostScript Files
6698 @subsection PostScript Files
6704 @kindex X p (Summary)
6705 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6706 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6709 @kindex X P (Summary)
6710 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6711 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6712 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6715 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6716 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6717 View the current PostScript series
6718 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6721 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6722 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6723 View and save the current PostScript series
6724 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6729 @subsection Other Files
6733 @kindex X o (Summary)
6734 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6735 Save the current series
6736 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6739 @kindex X b (Summary)
6740 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6741 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6742 doesn't really work yet.
6746 @node Decoding Variables
6747 @subsection Decoding Variables
6749 Adjective, not verb.
6752 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6753 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6754 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6758 @node Rule Variables
6759 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6760 @cindex rule variables
6762 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6763 variables are of the form
6766 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6773 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6774 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6776 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6777 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6780 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6781 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6784 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6785 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6786 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6787 user and default view rules.
6789 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6790 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6791 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6796 @node Other Decode Variables
6797 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6800 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6802 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6803 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6804 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6805 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6806 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6810 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6811 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6814 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6815 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6816 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6819 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6820 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6821 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6822 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6823 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6826 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6827 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6828 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6830 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6831 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6832 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6833 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6834 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6837 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6838 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6839 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6841 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6842 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6843 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6844 looking for files to display.
6846 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6847 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6848 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6851 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6852 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6853 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6856 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6857 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6858 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6861 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6862 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6863 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6866 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6867 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6868 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6869 decoded articles as unread.
6871 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6872 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6873 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6874 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6876 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6877 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6878 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6880 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6881 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6883 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6884 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6885 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6886 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6888 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6889 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6890 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6891 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6892 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6893 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6894 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6895 simply dropped them.
6900 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6901 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6905 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6906 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6907 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6908 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6909 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6910 for you when you post the article.
6912 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6913 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6914 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6915 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6917 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6918 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6919 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6920 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6921 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6922 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6923 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6925 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6926 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6927 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6928 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6929 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6930 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6931 Default is @code{t}.
6937 @subsection Viewing Files
6938 @cindex viewing files
6939 @cindex pseudo-articles
6941 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
6942 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6943 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6944 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
6945 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6946 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6947 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6949 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6950 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6951 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6952 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6954 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6955 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6956 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6958 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6959 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6960 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6961 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6962 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6964 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6965 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6966 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6967 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6968 a list of parameters to that command.
6970 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6971 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6972 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6974 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6975 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6976 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6979 @node Article Treatment
6980 @section Article Treatment
6982 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6983 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6984 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6985 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6986 these articles easier.
6989 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6990 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6991 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6992 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6993 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6994 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6995 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6996 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7000 @node Article Highlighting
7001 @subsection Article Highlighting
7002 @cindex highlighting
7004 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7005 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7010 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7011 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7012 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7013 Do much highlighting of the current article
7014 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7015 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7018 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7019 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7020 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7021 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7022 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7023 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7024 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7025 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7026 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7027 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7028 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7029 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7032 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7033 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7034 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7036 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7039 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7041 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7042 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7043 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7045 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7046 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7047 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7049 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7050 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7051 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7052 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7053 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7054 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7056 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7057 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7058 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7060 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7061 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7062 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7064 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7065 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7066 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7067 that it's a citation.
7069 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7070 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7071 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7073 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7074 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7075 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7077 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7078 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7079 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7080 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7086 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7087 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7088 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7089 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7090 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7091 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7092 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7093 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7098 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7101 @node Article Fontisizing
7102 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7104 @cindex article emphasis
7106 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7107 @kindex W e (Summary)
7108 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7109 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7110 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7111 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7113 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7114 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7115 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7116 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7117 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7118 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7119 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7120 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7124 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
7125 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7126 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7135 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7136 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7137 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7138 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7139 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7140 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7141 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7142 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7143 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7144 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7145 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7146 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7147 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7149 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7150 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7151 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7155 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7158 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7160 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7161 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7162 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7163 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7165 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7168 @node Article Hiding
7169 @subsection Article Hiding
7170 @cindex article hiding
7172 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7173 too much cruft in most articles.
7178 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7179 @findex gnus-article-hide
7180 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7181 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7182 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7185 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7186 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7187 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7191 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7192 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7193 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7194 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7197 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7198 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7199 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7203 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7204 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7205 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7206 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7207 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7208 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7209 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7210 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7214 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7215 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7216 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7217 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7222 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7223 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7224 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7225 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7226 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7227 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7228 articles that have signatures in them do:
7230 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7232 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7234 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7235 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7237 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7240 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7245 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7246 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7247 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7248 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7251 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7252 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7255 @cindex stripping advertisements
7256 @cindex advertisements
7257 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7258 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7259 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7260 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7261 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7262 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7263 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7264 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7265 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7266 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7270 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7271 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7272 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7273 customizing the hiding:
7277 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7278 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7279 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7280 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7281 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7282 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7283 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7288 Starting point of the hidden text.
7290 Ending point of the hidden text.
7292 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7294 Number of lines of hidden text.
7297 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7298 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7299 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7300 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7301 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7306 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7307 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7309 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7310 following two variables:
7313 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7314 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7315 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7316 50), hide the cited text.
7318 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7319 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7320 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7325 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7326 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7327 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7328 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7329 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7330 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7334 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7335 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7336 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7338 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7339 citation customization.
7341 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7345 @node Article Washing
7346 @subsection Article Washing
7348 @cindex article washing
7350 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7351 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7353 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7354 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7357 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7358 articles by default.
7363 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7364 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7368 @kindex W l (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7370 Remove page breaks from the current article
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7375 @kindex W r (Summary)
7376 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7377 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7378 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7379 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7380 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7381 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7383 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7384 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7385 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7386 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7390 @kindex W t (Summary)
7392 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7393 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7394 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
7397 @kindex W v (Summary)
7398 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7399 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7400 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7403 @kindex W m (Summary)
7404 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
7405 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
7406 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
7409 @kindex W o (Summary)
7410 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7411 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7414 @kindex W d (Summary)
7415 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7416 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7418 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7420 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7421 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7422 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7423 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7426 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7427 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7428 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7429 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7432 @kindex W w (Summary)
7433 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7434 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7436 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7440 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7441 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7442 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7445 @kindex W C (Summary)
7446 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7447 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7448 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7451 @kindex W c (Summary)
7452 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7453 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7454 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7455 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7456 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7459 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7460 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7461 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7462 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7463 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7464 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7465 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7469 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7471 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7472 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7473 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7476 @kindex W h (Summary)
7477 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7478 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7479 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7480 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7484 @kindex W f (Summary)
7486 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7487 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7488 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7489 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7496 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7497 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7498 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7499 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7500 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7501 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7502 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7503 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7504 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7505 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7506 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7507 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7508 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7509 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7510 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7511 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7512 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7513 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7514 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7515 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7519 @kindex W b (Summary)
7520 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7521 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7522 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7525 @kindex W B (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7527 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7528 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7531 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7532 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7533 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7534 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7537 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7538 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7539 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7540 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7543 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7544 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7545 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7546 lines with a single empty line.
7547 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7550 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7551 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7552 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7553 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7556 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7557 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7558 Do all the three commands above
7559 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7562 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7563 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7564 Remove all blank lines
7565 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7568 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7569 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7570 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7571 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7574 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7575 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7576 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7577 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7581 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7584 @node Article Buttons
7585 @subsection Article Buttons
7588 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7589 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7590 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7591 button on these references.
7593 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7594 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7595 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7600 @item gnus-button-alist
7601 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7602 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7605 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7611 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7612 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7613 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7616 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7617 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7618 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7621 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7622 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7623 avoid false matches.
7626 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7629 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7630 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7634 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7637 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7640 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7641 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7642 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7643 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7644 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7647 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7650 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7652 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7653 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7654 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7655 default values of the variables above.
7657 @item gnus-article-button-face
7658 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7659 Face used on buttons.
7661 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7662 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7663 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7667 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7671 @subsection Article Date
7673 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7674 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7675 when the article was sent.
7680 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7681 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7682 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7683 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7686 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7687 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7689 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7690 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7693 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7694 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7695 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7698 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7699 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7700 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7701 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7704 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7705 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7706 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7707 @findex format-time-string
7708 Display the date using a user-defined format
7709 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7710 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7711 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7712 for a list of possible format specs.
7715 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7716 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7717 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7718 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7719 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7720 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7723 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7726 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7727 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7730 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7731 into wonderful absurdities.
7733 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7736 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7739 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7740 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7744 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7745 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7746 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7747 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7748 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7749 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7750 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7754 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7755 preferred format automatically.
7758 @node Article Signature
7759 @subsection Article Signature
7761 @cindex article signature
7763 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7764 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7765 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7766 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7767 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7768 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7769 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7770 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7771 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7774 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7775 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7776 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7777 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7778 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7779 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7780 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7781 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7784 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7787 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7788 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7789 signature when displaying articles.
7793 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7796 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7799 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7800 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7802 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7803 in question is not a signature.
7806 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7807 listed above. Here's an example:
7810 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7811 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7814 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7815 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7816 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7817 signature after all.
7820 @node Article Miscellania
7821 @subsection Article Miscellania
7825 @kindex A t (Summary)
7826 @findex gnus-article-babel
7827 Translate the article from one language to another
7828 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7834 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7835 @cindex MIME decoding
7837 @cindex viewing attachments
7839 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7840 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7846 @kindex K v (Summary)
7847 View the @sc{mime} part.
7850 @kindex K o (Summary)
7851 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7854 @kindex K c (Summary)
7855 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7858 @kindex K e (Summary)
7859 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7862 @kindex K i (Summary)
7863 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7866 @kindex K | (Summary)
7867 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7870 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7875 @kindex K b (Summary)
7876 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7877 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7881 @kindex K m (Summary)
7882 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7883 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7884 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7885 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7886 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7889 @kindex X m (Summary)
7890 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7891 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7892 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7893 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7896 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7897 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7898 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7899 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7902 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7903 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7904 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7907 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7908 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7909 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7911 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7912 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7913 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7914 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7915 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7916 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7919 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7920 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7921 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7928 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7929 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7930 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7931 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7934 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7937 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7941 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7942 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7943 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7944 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7945 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7947 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7948 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7949 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7950 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7951 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7952 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7953 save all jpegs into some directory).
7955 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7958 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7959 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7961 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7962 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7963 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7964 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7965 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7968 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7969 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7970 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7979 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7980 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7981 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7982 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7983 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7984 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7985 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7987 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7988 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7989 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7990 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7992 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7993 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7994 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7995 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7996 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7997 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7998 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7999 something some agents insist on having in there.
8001 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8002 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8003 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8004 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8005 quoted-printable header encoding.
8007 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8008 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8009 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8013 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8016 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8017 means encode all charsets),
8019 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8020 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8021 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8028 @cindex coding system aliases
8029 @cindex preferred charset
8031 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8033 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8034 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8037 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8038 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8041 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8042 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8044 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8047 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8050 This will almost do the right thing.
8052 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8056 (codepage-setup 1251)
8057 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8061 @node Article Commands
8062 @section Article Commands
8069 @kindex A P (Summary)
8070 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8071 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8072 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8073 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8074 run just before printing the buffer.
8079 @node Summary Sorting
8080 @section Summary Sorting
8081 @cindex summary sorting
8083 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8084 can't really see why you'd want that.
8089 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8090 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8091 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8094 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8095 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8096 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8099 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8100 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8101 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8104 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8105 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8106 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8109 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8110 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8111 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8114 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8115 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8116 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8119 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8120 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8121 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8124 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8125 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8126 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8127 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8128 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8132 @node Finding the Parent
8133 @section Finding the Parent
8134 @cindex parent articles
8135 @cindex referring articles
8140 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8141 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8142 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8143 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8144 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8145 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8146 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8147 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8148 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8150 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8151 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8152 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8153 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8154 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8158 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8159 @kindex A R (Summary)
8160 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8161 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8164 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8165 @kindex A T (Summary)
8166 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8167 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8168 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8169 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8170 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8171 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8172 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8174 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8175 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8176 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8177 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8178 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8179 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8182 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8183 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8185 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8186 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8187 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8188 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8189 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8190 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8191 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8194 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8195 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8196 by giving this command a prefix.
8198 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8199 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8200 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8201 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8202 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8203 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8206 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8207 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8208 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8211 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8212 then ask Deja if that fails:
8215 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8217 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8220 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8221 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8222 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8223 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8224 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8225 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8228 @node Alternative Approaches
8229 @section Alternative Approaches
8231 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8232 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8235 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8236 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8241 @subsection Pick and Read
8242 @cindex pick and read
8244 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8245 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8246 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8247 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8249 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8250 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8251 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8252 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8253 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8254 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8256 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8261 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8262 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8263 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8264 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8265 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8266 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8267 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8268 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8271 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8272 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8273 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8274 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8278 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8279 Unpick the thread or article
8280 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8281 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8282 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8283 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8284 the thread or article at that line.
8288 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8289 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8290 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8291 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8292 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8293 will still be visible when you are reading.
8297 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8298 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8299 which is mapped to the same function
8300 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8302 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8305 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8308 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8309 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8311 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8312 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8313 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8315 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8316 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8317 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8318 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8319 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8320 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8321 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8325 @subsection Binary Groups
8326 @cindex binary groups
8328 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8329 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8330 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8331 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8332 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8333 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8334 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8337 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8338 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8339 command, when you have turned on this mode
8340 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8342 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8343 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8347 @section Tree Display
8350 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8351 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
8352 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8353 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8356 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8359 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8360 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8361 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8363 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8364 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8365 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8366 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8367 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8369 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8370 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8371 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8372 default is @code{modeline}.
8374 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8375 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8376 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8377 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8378 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8379 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8380 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8386 The name of the poster.
8388 The @code{From} header.
8390 The number of the article.
8392 The opening bracket.
8394 The closing bracket.
8399 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8401 Variables related to the display are:
8404 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8405 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8406 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8407 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8408 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8409 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8411 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8412 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8413 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8414 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8418 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8419 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8420 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
8421 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
8422 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8423 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8424 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8425 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8426 other windows displayed next to it.
8428 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8429 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8430 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8431 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8432 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8433 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8434 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8438 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8441 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8451 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8455 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8456 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8458 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8460 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8465 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8466 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8467 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8470 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8471 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8472 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8473 (gnus-add-configuration
8477 (summary 0.75 point)
8482 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8485 @node Mail Group Commands
8486 @section Mail Group Commands
8487 @cindex mail group commands
8489 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8490 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8492 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8493 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8498 @kindex B e (Summary)
8499 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8500 Expire all expirable articles in the group
8501 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
8504 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8506 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8507 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8508 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8509 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8512 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8513 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8514 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8515 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8516 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8517 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8520 @kindex B m (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8523 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8524 Move the article from one mail group to another
8525 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8526 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8529 @kindex B c (Summary)
8531 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8533 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8534 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8535 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8538 @kindex B B (Summary)
8539 @cindex crosspost mail
8540 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8541 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8542 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8543 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8544 be properly updated.
8547 @kindex B i (Summary)
8548 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8549 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8550 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8551 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8554 @kindex B r (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8556 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8557 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8558 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8559 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8560 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8561 (which is the default).
8565 @kindex B w (Summary)
8567 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8568 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8569 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8570 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8571 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8572 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8575 @kindex B q (Summary)
8576 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8577 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8578 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8579 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8582 @kindex B t (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8584 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8585 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8588 @kindex B p (Summary)
8589 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8590 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8591 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8592 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8593 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8594 article from your news server (or rather, from
8595 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8596 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8597 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8598 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8599 just not have arrived yet.
8603 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8604 @cindex moving articles
8605 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
8606 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8607 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8608 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8609 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8610 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8611 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8614 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8615 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8616 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8617 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8621 @node Various Summary Stuff
8622 @section Various Summary Stuff
8625 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8626 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8627 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8628 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8632 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8633 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8634 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8636 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8637 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8638 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8639 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8640 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8641 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8644 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8645 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8646 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8647 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8648 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8650 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8651 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8652 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8655 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8656 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8657 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8658 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8659 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8660 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8661 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
8662 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8663 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8664 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8666 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8667 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8668 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8669 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8670 list of articles to be selected.
8672 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8673 the list in one particular group:
8676 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8677 (if (string= group "some.group")
8678 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8685 @node Summary Group Information
8686 @subsection Summary Group Information
8691 @kindex H f (Summary)
8692 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8693 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8694 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8695 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8696 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8697 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8698 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8699 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8700 be used for fetching the file.
8703 @kindex H d (Summary)
8704 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8705 Give a brief description of the current group
8706 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8707 rereading the description from the server.
8710 @kindex H h (Summary)
8711 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8712 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8713 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8716 @kindex H i (Summary)
8717 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8718 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8722 @node Searching for Articles
8723 @subsection Searching for Articles
8728 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8729 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8730 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8731 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8734 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8735 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8736 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8737 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8741 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8742 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8743 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8744 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8745 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8746 search backward instead.
8748 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8749 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8752 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8753 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8754 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8755 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8758 @node Summary Generation Commands
8759 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8764 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8765 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8766 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8769 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8770 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8771 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8772 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8777 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8778 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8784 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8785 @kindex A D (Summary)
8786 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8787 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8788 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8789 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8790 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8791 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8792 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8793 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8797 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8798 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8799 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8800 several documents into one biiig group
8801 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8802 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8803 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8804 command understands the process/prefix convention
8805 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8808 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8809 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8810 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8811 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8812 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8813 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8817 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8818 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8819 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8822 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8823 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8824 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8825 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8828 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8829 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8830 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8831 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8836 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8837 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8838 @cindex summary exit
8839 @cindex exiting groups
8841 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8842 group and return you to the group buffer.
8848 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8850 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8851 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8852 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8853 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8854 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8855 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8856 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8857 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8858 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8859 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8860 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8864 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8866 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8867 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8868 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8872 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8874 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8875 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8876 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8877 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8880 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8881 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8882 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8883 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8886 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8887 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8888 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8889 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8892 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8893 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8894 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8895 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8896 all articles, both read and unread.
8900 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8901 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8902 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8903 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8904 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8905 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8906 articles, both read and unread.
8909 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8910 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8911 Exit the group and go to the next group
8912 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8915 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8916 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8917 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8918 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8921 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8922 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8923 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8924 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8925 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8926 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8929 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8930 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
8931 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
8932 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
8934 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8935 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8936 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8937 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8938 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8939 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8940 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8941 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8942 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8943 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8944 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8945 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8947 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8949 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8950 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8951 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8952 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8953 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8954 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8955 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8956 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8957 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8960 @node Crosspost Handling
8961 @section Crosspost Handling
8965 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8966 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8967 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8968 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8969 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8970 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8973 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8974 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8975 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8976 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8977 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8979 @cindex cross-posting
8982 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8983 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8984 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8985 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8986 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8987 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8988 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8989 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8990 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8991 the cross reference mechanism.
8993 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8994 @cindex overview.fmt
8995 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8996 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8997 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8998 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8999 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9000 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9003 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9004 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9005 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9010 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9013 @node Duplicate Suppression
9014 @section Duplicate Suppression
9016 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9017 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9018 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9019 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9024 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9025 is evil and not very common.
9028 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9029 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9032 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9033 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9036 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9039 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9040 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9042 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9043 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9044 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9045 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9046 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9047 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9048 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9051 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9052 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9053 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9054 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9055 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9059 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9060 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9061 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9063 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9064 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9065 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9066 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9067 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9068 session are suppressed.
9070 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9071 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9072 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9073 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9075 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9076 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9077 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9078 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9081 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9082 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9083 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9084 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9085 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9086 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9087 to you to figure out, I think.
9092 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9097 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9103 @item mm-verify-option
9104 @vindex mm-verify-option
9105 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9106 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9107 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9109 @item mm-decrypt-option
9110 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9111 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9112 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9113 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9117 @node The Article Buffer
9118 @chapter The Article Buffer
9119 @cindex article buffer
9121 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9122 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9123 tell gnus otherwise.
9126 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9127 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9128 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9129 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9130 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9134 @node Hiding Headers
9135 @section Hiding Headers
9136 @cindex hiding headers
9137 @cindex deleting headers
9139 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9140 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9142 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9143 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9144 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9145 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9146 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9147 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9148 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9149 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9150 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9152 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9156 @item gnus-visible-headers
9157 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9158 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9159 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9160 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9162 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9163 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9166 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9169 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9172 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9173 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9174 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9175 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9176 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9177 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9179 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9180 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
9183 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9186 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9189 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9190 variable will have no effect.
9194 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9195 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9196 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9197 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9198 the headers are to be displayed.
9200 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9201 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9204 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9207 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9208 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9210 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9211 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9212 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9213 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9214 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9215 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9216 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9219 These conditions are:
9222 Remove all empty headers.
9224 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9225 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9227 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9230 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9233 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9234 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9236 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9239 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9241 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9244 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
9247 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9248 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9251 This is also the default value for this variable.
9255 @section Using @sc{mime}
9258 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9259 while people stand around yawning.
9261 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9262 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9264 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9265 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9266 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9268 @vindex gnus-show-mime
9269 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
9270 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
9271 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
9272 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
9273 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
9274 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
9275 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
9276 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
9277 existed yet, sorry).
9279 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
9280 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
9281 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
9282 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
9283 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
9284 buffer. These can't be avoided.
9286 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
9287 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
9288 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
9289 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
9290 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
9291 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
9292 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
9293 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
9294 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
9297 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9299 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
9300 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
9301 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
9302 buffer when there are nobody else.
9304 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9307 @node Customizing Articles
9308 @section Customizing Articles
9309 @cindex article customization
9311 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9312 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9313 called automatically when you select the articles.
9315 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9316 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9317 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9318 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9320 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9321 for sensible values.
9325 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9328 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9331 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9334 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9337 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9341 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9342 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9343 regexps in the list.
9346 A list where the first element is not a string:
9348 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9349 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9350 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9354 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9358 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
9363 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9364 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9365 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9366 considered to contain just a single part.
9368 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9369 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9370 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9371 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9372 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9373 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9374 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9376 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9377 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9378 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9379 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9382 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9383 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9384 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9385 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9386 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9387 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9388 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9389 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9390 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9391 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9392 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9393 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9394 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9395 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9396 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9397 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9398 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9399 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9400 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9401 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9402 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9403 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9404 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9405 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9406 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9407 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9408 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9409 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9410 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9411 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9412 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9413 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9414 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9415 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9416 @item gnus-treat-translate
9417 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
9420 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9421 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9422 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9423 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9424 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9428 @node Article Keymap
9429 @section Article Keymap
9431 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9432 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9433 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9434 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9437 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9442 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9443 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9444 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9447 @kindex DEL (Article)
9448 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9449 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9452 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9453 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9454 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9455 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9456 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9459 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9460 @findex gnus-article-mail
9461 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9462 given a prefix, include the mail.
9466 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9467 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9468 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9472 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9473 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9474 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9477 @kindex TAB (Article)
9478 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9479 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9480 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9483 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9484 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9485 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9491 @section Misc Article
9495 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9496 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9497 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9498 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9501 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9502 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9504 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9505 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9507 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9508 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9509 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9510 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9511 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9512 the contents of the article buffer.
9514 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9515 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9516 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9518 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9519 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9520 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9521 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9523 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9524 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9525 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9526 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9527 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9532 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9533 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9536 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9539 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9541 @item gnus-break-pages
9542 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9543 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9544 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9545 paging will not be done.
9547 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9548 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9549 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9554 @node Composing Messages
9555 @chapter Composing Messages
9556 @cindex composing messages
9559 @cindex sending mail
9565 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9566 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9567 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9568 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9569 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9570 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9573 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9574 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9575 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9576 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9577 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9578 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9579 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9580 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9583 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9584 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9590 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9593 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9594 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9595 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9596 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9598 @item gnus-add-to-list
9599 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9600 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9601 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9606 @node Posting Server
9607 @section Posting Server
9609 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9610 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9612 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9614 @vindex gnus-post-method
9616 It can be quite complicated. Normally, gnus will use the same native
9617 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
9618 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9619 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9620 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9623 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9626 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9627 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9628 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9629 the ``current'' server for posting.
9631 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9632 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9634 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9635 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9638 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
9639 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
9640 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
9645 @section Mail and Post
9647 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9651 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9652 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9653 @cindex mailing lists
9655 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9656 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9657 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9658 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9659 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9660 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9661 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9662 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9663 still a pain, though.
9667 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9668 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9669 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9672 @findex ispell-message
9674 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9677 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9678 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9681 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9684 ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
9685 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9687 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9690 Modify to suit your needs.
9693 @node Archived Messages
9694 @section Archived Messages
9695 @cindex archived messages
9696 @cindex sent messages
9698 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9699 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9700 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9701 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9704 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9705 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
9706 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9710 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9711 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9712 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9713 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9716 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9717 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9718 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9719 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9722 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9723 '(nnfolder "archive"
9724 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9725 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9726 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9729 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9731 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9732 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9733 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9735 This variable can be used to do the following:
9739 Messages will be saved in that group.
9741 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9742 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9743 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9744 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9745 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9746 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9747 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9748 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9750 @item a list of strings
9751 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9752 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9753 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9755 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9760 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9762 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9765 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9767 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9770 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9772 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9773 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9774 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9775 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9780 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9781 '((if (message-news-p)
9786 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9787 messages in one file per month:
9790 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9791 '((if (message-news-p)
9793 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9796 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9797 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9799 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9800 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9801 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9802 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9803 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9804 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9805 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9806 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9807 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9808 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9810 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9811 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9812 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9813 this will disable archiving.
9816 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9817 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9818 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9819 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9820 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9823 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9824 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9825 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9828 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9829 but the latter is the preferred method.
9831 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9832 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9833 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
9838 @node Posting Styles
9839 @section Posting Styles
9840 @cindex posting styles
9843 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9845 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9846 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9847 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9850 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9851 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9852 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9853 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9854 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9859 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9860 (organization "What me?"))
9862 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9863 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9864 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9867 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9868 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9869 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9870 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9871 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9872 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9873 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9874 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9876 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9877 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9878 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9879 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9880 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9881 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9882 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9883 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9886 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9887 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9888 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9889 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9890 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9891 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9892 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9893 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9894 result is thrown away.
9896 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9897 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9898 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9899 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9900 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9901 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9903 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9904 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9905 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9907 @findex message-mail-p
9908 @findex message-news-p
9910 So here's a new example:
9913 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9915 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9917 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9918 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9920 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9921 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9922 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9924 (signature my-news-signature))
9925 (header "From\\|To" "larsi.*org"
9926 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9927 ((posting-from-work-p)
9928 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9929 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9930 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9931 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9933 (From (save-excursion
9934 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
9935 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
9937 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9940 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
9941 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
9942 if you fill many roles.
9949 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9950 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9951 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9952 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9953 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9955 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9956 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9957 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9958 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9959 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9963 @vindex nndraft-directory
9964 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9965 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9966 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9967 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9968 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9969 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9971 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9972 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9975 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9976 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9977 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9978 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9979 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9980 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9981 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9982 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9983 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9984 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9985 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9986 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9987 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9988 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9990 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9991 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9992 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9994 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9996 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9997 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9998 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10000 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10003 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10004 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10005 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10006 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10007 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10008 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10009 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10012 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10013 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10014 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10017 @node Rejected Articles
10018 @section Rejected Articles
10019 @cindex rejected articles
10021 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10022 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10023 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10024 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10026 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10027 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10028 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10029 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10030 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10032 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10033 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10034 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10040 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10041 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10042 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10044 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10045 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10049 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10050 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10053 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10054 to 700, for your own safety.
10056 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10057 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10061 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10064 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10065 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10068 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10071 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10072 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10073 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10074 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10075 encrypt using S/MIME.
10077 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10078 you've typed it correctly.
10080 @node Select Methods
10081 @chapter Select Methods
10082 @cindex foreign groups
10083 @cindex select methods
10085 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10086 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10087 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10088 personal mail group.
10090 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10091 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10092 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10093 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10094 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10095 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10097 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10098 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
10100 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10103 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10104 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10105 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10106 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10107 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10109 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10112 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10113 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10114 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10115 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10116 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10117 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10118 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10122 @node The Server Buffer
10123 @section The Server Buffer
10125 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10126 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10127 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10128 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10129 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10130 backend represents a virtual server.
10132 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10133 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10134 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10135 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10137 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10138 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10139 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10140 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10141 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10142 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10143 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10145 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10146 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10149 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10150 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10151 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10152 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10153 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10154 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10155 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10158 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10159 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10162 @node Server Buffer Format
10163 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10164 @cindex server buffer format
10166 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10167 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10168 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10169 variable, with some simple extensions:
10174 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10177 The name of this server.
10180 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10183 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10186 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10187 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10188 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10189 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10199 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10202 @node Server Commands
10203 @subsection Server Commands
10204 @cindex server commands
10210 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10211 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10215 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10216 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10219 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10220 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10221 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10225 @findex gnus-server-exit
10226 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10230 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10231 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10235 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10236 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10240 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10241 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10245 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10246 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10250 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10251 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10252 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10257 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10258 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10259 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10260 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10265 @node Example Methods
10266 @subsection Example Methods
10268 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10271 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10274 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10280 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10281 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10284 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10285 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10287 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10288 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10292 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10295 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10296 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10298 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10299 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10300 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10304 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10307 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10310 Here's the method for a public spool:
10314 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10315 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10321 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10322 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10323 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10324 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10325 should probably look something like this:
10329 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10330 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10331 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10332 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10333 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10336 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10337 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10338 server that would look something like this:
10342 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10343 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10344 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10345 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10346 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10347 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10350 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10351 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10352 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10353 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10356 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10357 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10359 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10360 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10362 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10363 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10364 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10366 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10368 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10369 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10370 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10371 will contain the following:
10381 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10382 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10383 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10386 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10387 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10388 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10391 @node Server Variables
10392 @subsection Server Variables
10394 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10395 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10396 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10397 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10398 won't change the "derived" variables.
10400 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10401 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10402 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10403 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10404 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10405 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10406 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10407 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10408 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10412 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10413 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10414 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10418 @node Servers and Methods
10419 @subsection Servers and Methods
10421 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10422 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10423 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10424 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10428 @node Unavailable Servers
10429 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10431 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10432 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10433 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10434 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10435 actually the case or not.
10437 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10438 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10439 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10440 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10441 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10442 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10443 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10444 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10446 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10447 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10449 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
10450 with the following commands:
10456 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10457 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10458 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10462 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10463 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10464 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10468 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10469 Mark the current server as unreachable
10470 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10473 @kindex M-o (Server)
10474 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10475 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10476 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10479 @kindex M-c (Server)
10480 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10481 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10482 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10486 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10487 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10488 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10494 @section Getting News
10495 @cindex reading news
10496 @cindex news backends
10498 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10499 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10500 or it can read from a local spool.
10503 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10504 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10509 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10512 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10513 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10514 server as the, uhm, address.
10516 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10517 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10518 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10519 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10521 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10522 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10523 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10525 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10530 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10531 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10532 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10534 @cindex authentification
10535 @cindex nntp authentification
10536 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10537 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10538 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10539 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10540 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10541 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10542 present in this hook.
10544 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10545 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10546 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10547 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10548 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10549 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10550 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10551 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10552 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10553 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10554 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10555 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10559 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10562 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10564 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10565 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10566 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10567 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10568 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10569 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10570 @samp{force} is explained below.
10574 Here's an example file:
10577 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10578 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10581 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10582 have to be first, for instance.
10584 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10585 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10586 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10587 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10588 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10589 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10590 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10592 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10593 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10599 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10600 previously mentioned.
10602 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10604 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10605 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10606 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10607 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10608 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10611 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10612 '(("innd" (ding))))
10615 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10617 The default value is
10620 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10621 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10624 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10625 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10627 @item nntp-maximum-request
10628 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10629 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10630 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10631 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10632 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10633 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10634 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10636 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10637 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10638 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10639 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10640 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10641 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10642 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10643 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10644 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10645 no timeouts are done.
10647 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10648 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10649 @c @cindex PPP connections
10650 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10651 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10652 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10653 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10654 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10655 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10656 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10657 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10658 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10659 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10661 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10662 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10663 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10664 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10665 @c described above.
10667 @item nntp-server-hook
10668 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10669 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10672 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10673 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10674 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10675 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10676 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10677 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10678 functions are supplied:
10681 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10682 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10685 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10686 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10687 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10690 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10694 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10695 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10696 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10697 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10699 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10700 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10701 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10703 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10704 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10705 User name on the remote system.
10709 @item nntp-open-telnet
10710 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10711 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10713 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10716 @item nntp-telnet-command
10717 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10718 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10720 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10721 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10722 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10724 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10725 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10726 User name for log in on the remote system.
10728 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10729 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10730 Password to use when logging in.
10732 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10733 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10734 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10737 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10738 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10739 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10740 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10742 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10743 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10744 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10745 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10746 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10750 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10751 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10752 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10753 you must have SSLay installed
10754 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10755 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10756 define a server as follows:
10759 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10761 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10763 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10764 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10765 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10766 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10771 @item nntp-end-of-line
10772 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10773 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10774 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10775 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10777 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10778 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10779 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10783 @vindex nntp-address
10784 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10786 @item nntp-port-number
10787 @vindex nntp-port-number
10788 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10791 @item nntp-list-options
10792 @vindex nntp-list-options
10793 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
10794 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
10795 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
10796 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
10797 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
10801 (setq gnus-select-method
10802 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10803 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
10806 @item nntp-options-subscribe
10807 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
10808 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
10809 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10810 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10811 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10812 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10815 (setq gnus-select-method
10816 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10817 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
10820 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
10821 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
10822 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
10823 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10824 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10825 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10826 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10829 (setq gnus-select-method
10830 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10831 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
10834 @item nntp-buggy-select
10835 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10836 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10838 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10839 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10840 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10841 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10844 @item nntp-xover-commands
10845 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10848 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10849 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10853 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10854 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10855 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10856 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10857 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10858 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10859 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10860 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10861 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10862 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10863 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10865 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10866 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10867 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10869 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10870 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10871 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10872 server closes connection.
10874 @item nntp-record-commands
10875 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10876 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10877 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10878 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10879 that doesn't seem to work.
10885 @subsection News Spool
10889 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10890 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10891 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10894 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10895 anything else) as the address.
10897 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10898 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10899 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10900 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10904 @item nnspool-inews-program
10905 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10906 Program used to post an article.
10908 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10909 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10910 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10912 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10913 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10914 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10915 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10917 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10918 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10919 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10920 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10922 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10923 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10924 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10926 @item nnspool-active-file
10927 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10928 The path to the active file.
10930 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10931 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10932 The path to the group descriptions file.
10934 @item nnspool-history-file
10935 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10936 The path to the news history file.
10938 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10939 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10940 The path to the active date file.
10942 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10943 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10944 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10947 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10948 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10950 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10951 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10952 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10958 @section Getting Mail
10959 @cindex reading mail
10962 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10966 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10967 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10968 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10969 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10970 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10971 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10972 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10973 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10974 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10975 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10976 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10977 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10978 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10982 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10983 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10985 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10986 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10987 of a culture shock.
10989 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10990 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10992 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10993 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10994 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10995 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10997 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10999 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11000 deleted? How awful!
11002 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11003 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11004 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11005 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11008 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11009 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11010 they want to treat a message.
11012 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11013 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11014 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11015 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11016 archived somewhere else.
11018 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11019 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11020 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11021 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11022 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11024 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11025 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11026 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11028 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11029 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11032 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11033 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11034 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11035 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11036 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11038 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11039 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11040 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11041 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11042 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11043 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11047 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11048 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11050 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11051 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11052 and things will happen automatically.
11054 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11055 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11058 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11059 '((nnml "private")))
11062 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11063 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11064 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11065 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11066 like any other group.
11068 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11071 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11072 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11073 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11077 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11078 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11079 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11082 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11083 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11084 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11087 @node Splitting Mail
11088 @subsection Splitting Mail
11089 @cindex splitting mail
11090 @cindex mail splitting
11092 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11093 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11094 to be split into groups.
11097 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11098 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11099 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11100 ("mail.other" "")))
11103 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11104 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11105 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11106 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11107 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11108 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11109 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11112 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11115 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11116 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11117 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11118 mail belongs in that group.
11120 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11121 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11122 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11123 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11124 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11125 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11127 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11128 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11129 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11130 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11131 thinks should carry this mail message.
11133 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11134 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11135 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11136 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11138 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11139 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11140 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11141 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11142 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11144 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11147 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11148 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11149 links. If that's the case for you, set
11150 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11151 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11153 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11154 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11155 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11156 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11157 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11158 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11161 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11162 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11163 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11164 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11165 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11166 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11167 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11168 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11169 month's rent money.
11173 @subsection Mail Sources
11175 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11176 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11180 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11181 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11182 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11186 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11187 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11189 @cindex mail server
11192 @cindex mail source
11194 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11195 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11200 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11203 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11204 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11205 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11208 The following mail source types are available:
11212 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11218 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11219 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11222 An example file mail source:
11225 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11228 Or using the default path:
11234 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11235 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11236 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11239 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11243 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11246 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11250 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11253 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11255 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11258 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11262 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11263 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11264 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil force Gnus to
11265 scan the mail source only once.
11271 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11275 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11279 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11280 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11281 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11282 predicate are considered.
11286 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11290 An example directory mail source:
11293 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11298 Get mail from a POP server.
11304 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11305 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11308 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11309 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11310 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11311 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11312 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11315 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11319 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11323 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11324 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11327 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11330 The valid format specifier characters are:
11334 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11335 included in this string.
11338 The name of the server.
11341 The port number of the server.
11344 The user name to use.
11347 The password to use.
11350 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11351 corresponding keywords.
11354 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11355 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11358 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11359 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11362 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11363 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11366 @item :authentication
11367 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11368 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11373 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11374 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11376 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11377 default user name, and default fetcher:
11383 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11386 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11387 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11390 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11393 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11397 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11398 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11399 contains exactly one mail.
11405 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11406 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11409 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11410 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11412 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11413 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11414 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11417 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11418 from locking problems).
11422 Two example maildir mail sources:
11425 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11429 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
11433 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11434 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11435 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11436 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11443 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11444 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11447 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11448 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11451 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11455 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11459 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11460 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11461 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11463 @item :authentication
11464 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11465 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11466 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11470 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11471 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11472 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11478 The valid format specifier characters are:
11482 The name of the server.
11485 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11488 The port number of the server.
11491 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11492 corresponding keywords.
11495 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11496 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11499 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11500 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11501 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11502 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11503 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11504 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11507 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11508 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11509 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11510 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11513 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11514 after finishing the fetch.
11518 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11521 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11525 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11526 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11528 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11531 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11532 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11534 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11540 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11541 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11544 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11548 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11552 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11553 folder after finishing the fetch.
11557 An example webmail source:
11560 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11565 @item Common Keywords
11566 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11572 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11573 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11577 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11582 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11583 useful when you use local mail and news.
11588 @subsubsection Function Interface
11590 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11591 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11592 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11593 consider the following mail-source setting:
11596 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11597 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11600 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11601 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11602 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11603 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11604 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11606 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11609 @node Mail Source Customization
11610 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11612 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11613 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11617 @item mail-source-crash-box
11618 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11619 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11620 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11622 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11623 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11624 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11626 @item mail-source-directory
11627 @vindex mail-source-directory
11628 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11629 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11630 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11633 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11634 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11635 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11636 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11637 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11638 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11640 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11641 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11642 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11647 @node Fetching Mail
11648 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11650 @vindex mail-sources
11651 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11652 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11653 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11654 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11656 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11657 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11660 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11661 mail server, you'd say something like:
11666 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11667 :password "secret")))
11670 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11674 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11675 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11678 :password "secret")))
11682 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11683 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11684 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11685 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11686 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11687 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11691 @node Mail Backend Variables
11692 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11694 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11698 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11699 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11700 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11701 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11703 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11704 @item nnmail-split-hook
11705 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11706 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11707 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11708 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11709 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11710 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11711 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11712 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11713 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11716 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11717 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11718 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11719 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11720 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11721 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11722 starting to handle the new mail) and
11723 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11724 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11725 default file modes the new mail files get:
11728 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11729 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11731 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11732 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11735 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11736 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11737 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11738 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11739 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11740 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11741 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11743 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11744 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11745 @findex delete-file
11746 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11748 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11749 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11750 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11751 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11752 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11757 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11758 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11759 @cindex mail splitting
11760 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11762 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11763 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11764 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11765 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11766 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11767 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11769 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11772 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11773 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11774 ;; from real errors.
11775 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11777 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11778 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11779 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11780 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11781 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11782 ;; Other mailing lists...
11783 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11784 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11785 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11786 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11787 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11788 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11789 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11790 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11792 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11793 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11797 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11798 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11799 the five possible split syntaxes:
11804 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11805 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11809 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11810 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11811 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11812 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11813 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11814 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11815 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11816 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11819 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11820 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11821 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11822 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11825 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11826 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11829 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11830 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11833 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11834 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11835 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11836 function should return a @var{split}.
11838 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
11839 body of the messages:
11842 (defun split-on-body ()
11844 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
11845 (goto-char (point-min))
11846 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
11851 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11852 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11853 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11857 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11861 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11862 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11863 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11864 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11865 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11867 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11868 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11869 are expanded as specified by the variable
11870 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11871 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11874 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11875 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11876 when all this splitting is performed.
11878 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11879 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11880 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11883 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
11886 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
11887 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
11889 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
11890 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
11891 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
11892 groupings 1 through 9.
11894 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
11895 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
11896 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
11897 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
11898 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
11899 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
11900 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
11901 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
11902 it once per thread.
11904 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
11905 non-nil value. And then you can include
11906 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
11908 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
11909 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
11910 ;; other splits go here
11914 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
11915 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
11916 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
11917 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
11918 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
11919 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
11920 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
11921 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
11922 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
11923 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
11924 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
11925 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
11927 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11928 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
11929 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
11930 messages goes into the new group.
11933 @node Group Mail Splitting
11934 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
11935 @cindex mail splitting
11936 @cindex group mail splitting
11938 @findex gnus-group-split
11939 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
11940 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
11941 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
11942 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
11943 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
11944 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
11945 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
11946 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
11948 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
11949 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
11950 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
11951 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
11953 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
11954 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
11955 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
11956 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
11957 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
11958 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
11959 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
11961 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
11962 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
11963 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
11964 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
11965 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
11966 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
11967 @code{gnus-group-split}.
11969 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
11970 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
11971 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
11972 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
11973 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
11974 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
11975 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
11976 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
11977 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
11978 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
11979 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
11980 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
11981 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
11983 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
11988 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
11989 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
11991 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
11992 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
11993 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
11994 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
11996 ((split-spec . catch-all))
11999 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12000 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12001 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12004 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12005 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12006 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12010 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12011 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12012 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12016 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12019 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12020 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12021 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12022 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12023 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12024 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12025 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12026 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12027 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12029 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12030 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12031 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12032 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12033 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12034 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12035 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12036 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12037 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12039 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12040 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12041 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12042 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12043 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12044 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12047 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12050 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12051 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12052 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12053 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12054 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12057 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12058 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12059 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12060 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12062 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12063 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12065 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12066 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12067 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12070 Doing so can be quite easy.
12072 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12073 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12074 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12075 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12076 your @code{nnml} groups.
12082 Go to the group buffer.
12085 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12086 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12089 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12092 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12093 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12096 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12097 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12100 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12101 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12102 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12103 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12104 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12106 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12107 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12108 using the new mail backend.
12111 @node Expiring Mail
12112 @subsection Expiring Mail
12113 @cindex article expiry
12115 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12116 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12117 different approach to mail reading.
12119 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12120 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12121 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12122 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12123 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12124 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12127 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12128 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12129 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12130 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12131 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12132 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12133 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12134 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12136 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12137 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12138 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12139 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12140 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12141 column in the summary buffer.
12143 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12144 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12145 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12146 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12149 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12151 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12152 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12153 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12156 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12157 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12158 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12159 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12160 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12162 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12163 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12166 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12167 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12170 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12171 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12173 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12174 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12175 don't really mix very well.
12177 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12178 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12179 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12180 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12183 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12184 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12185 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12186 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12189 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12191 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12193 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12195 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12197 ((string= group "important")
12203 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12204 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12206 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12207 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12208 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12211 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12212 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12214 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12215 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12216 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12217 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12218 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12219 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12220 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12221 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12222 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12223 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12224 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12225 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12228 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12230 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12234 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12235 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12236 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12237 easier for procmail users.
12239 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12240 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12241 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12242 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12243 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12244 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12245 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12246 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12247 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12248 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12249 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12250 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12251 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12254 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12256 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12257 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12258 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12259 auto-expire turned on.
12263 @subsection Washing Mail
12264 @cindex mail washing
12265 @cindex list server brain damage
12266 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12268 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12269 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12270 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12271 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12272 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12273 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12275 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12276 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12277 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12280 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12281 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12282 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12283 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12286 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12287 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12288 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12289 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12290 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12293 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12294 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12295 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12296 Emacs running on MS machines.
12300 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12301 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12302 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12303 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12306 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12307 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12308 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12309 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12311 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12312 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12313 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12314 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12315 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12316 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12317 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12320 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12321 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12324 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12325 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12328 This can also be done non-destructively with
12329 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12331 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12332 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12333 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12335 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12336 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12338 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12339 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12340 @code{References} headers.
12344 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12345 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12346 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12350 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12351 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12352 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12359 @subsection Duplicates
12361 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12362 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12363 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12364 @cindex duplicate mails
12365 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12366 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12367 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12368 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12369 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12370 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12371 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12372 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12373 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12374 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12375 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12376 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12377 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12379 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12380 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12381 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12382 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12384 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12387 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12388 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12392 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12393 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12394 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12395 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12396 (any mail "mail.misc")
12403 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12404 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12409 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12410 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12411 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12412 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12413 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12416 @node Not Reading Mail
12417 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12419 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12420 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12421 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12423 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12424 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12425 mail, which should help.
12427 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12428 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12429 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12430 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12431 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12432 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12433 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12434 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12435 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12436 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12437 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12439 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12440 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12444 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12445 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12447 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12448 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12449 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12451 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12452 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12453 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12454 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12457 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12458 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12459 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12460 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12461 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12462 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12466 @node Unix Mail Box
12467 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12469 @cindex unix mail box
12471 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12472 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12473 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12474 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12475 which group it belongs in.
12477 Virtual server settings:
12480 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12481 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12482 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
12484 @item nnmbox-active-file
12485 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12486 The name of the active file for the mail box.
12488 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12489 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12490 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12496 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12500 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12501 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12502 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12503 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12504 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12506 Virtual server settings:
12509 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12510 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12511 The name of the rmail mbox file.
12513 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12514 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12515 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
12517 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12518 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12519 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
12524 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12526 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12528 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12529 format. It should be used with some caution.
12531 @vindex nnml-directory
12532 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12533 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12534 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12535 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12537 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12540 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12541 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12542 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12543 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12544 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12545 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12546 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12547 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12549 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12550 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12551 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12552 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12554 Virtual server settings:
12557 @item nnml-directory
12558 @vindex nnml-directory
12559 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12561 @item nnml-active-file
12562 @vindex nnml-active-file
12563 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
12565 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12566 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12567 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12570 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12571 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12572 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
12574 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12575 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12576 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12578 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12579 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12580 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12582 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12583 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12584 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12588 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12589 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12590 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12591 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12592 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12593 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12594 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12599 @subsubsection MH Spool
12601 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12603 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12604 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12605 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12606 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12608 Virtual server settings:
12611 @item nnmh-directory
12612 @vindex nnmh-directory
12613 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
12615 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12616 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12617 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
12620 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12621 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12622 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12623 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12624 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12625 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12626 to set this variable to @code{t}.
12631 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12633 @cindex mbox folders
12634 @cindex mail folders
12636 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12637 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12638 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12641 Virtual server settings:
12644 @item nnfolder-directory
12645 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12646 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12648 @item nnfolder-active-file
12649 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12650 The name of the active file.
12652 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12653 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12654 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
12656 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12657 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12658 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
12660 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12661 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12662 @cindex backup files
12663 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12664 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12665 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12666 your @file{.emacs} file:
12669 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12670 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12672 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12675 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12676 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12677 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12678 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12679 extract some information from it before removing it.
12681 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12682 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12683 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12688 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12689 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12690 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12691 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12692 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12693 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12696 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12697 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12699 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12700 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12701 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12702 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12703 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12705 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12706 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12707 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12708 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12709 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12710 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12711 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12712 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12715 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12716 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12717 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12718 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12723 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12724 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12725 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12726 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12727 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12728 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12729 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12730 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12731 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12732 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12733 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12734 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12735 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12740 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12741 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12742 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12743 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12744 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12745 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12746 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12747 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12748 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12749 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12750 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12751 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12752 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12753 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12755 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12756 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12761 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12762 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12763 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12764 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12765 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12766 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12767 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12768 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12769 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12770 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12771 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12772 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12773 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12774 provided by the active file and overviews.
12776 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12777 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12778 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12779 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12780 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12783 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12784 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12789 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12790 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12791 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12792 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12793 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12794 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12795 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12799 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12800 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12801 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12802 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12803 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12804 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12805 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12806 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12807 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12809 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12810 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12811 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12812 friendly mail backend all over.
12817 @node Browsing the Web
12818 @section Browsing the Web
12820 @cindex browsing the web
12824 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12825 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12826 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12827 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12828 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12829 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12830 even know what a news group is.
12832 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12833 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12834 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12835 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12836 you mad in the end.
12838 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12841 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12842 interfaces to these sources.
12845 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12846 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12847 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12848 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12849 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12852 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12854 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12855 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12856 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12857 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12858 though, you should be ok.
12860 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12861 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12862 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12863 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12864 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
12868 @subsection Web Searches
12872 @cindex InReference
12873 @cindex Usenet searches
12874 @cindex searching the Usenet
12876 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
12877 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
12878 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
12879 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
12880 searches without having to use a browser.
12882 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
12883 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
12884 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
12885 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
12886 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
12888 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
12889 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
12890 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
12891 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
12892 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
12893 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
12894 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
12895 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
12896 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
12897 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
12900 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
12901 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
12902 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
12903 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
12904 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
12905 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
12907 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
12908 to use @code{nnweb}.
12910 Virtual server variables:
12915 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
12916 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
12920 @vindex nnweb-search
12921 The search string to feed to the search engine.
12923 @item nnweb-max-hits
12924 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
12925 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
12928 @item nnweb-type-definition
12929 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
12930 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
12931 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
12936 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
12940 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
12943 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
12946 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
12950 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
12957 @subsection Slashdot
12961 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
12962 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
12963 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
12965 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
12966 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12969 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
12970 '((nnslashdot "")))
12973 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
12974 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
12975 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
12976 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
12977 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
12980 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
12981 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12983 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
12984 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
12985 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
12986 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
12987 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
12988 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
12991 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
12994 @item nnslashdot-threaded
12995 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
12996 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
12997 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
12998 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
12999 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13000 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13002 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13003 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13004 The login name to use when posting.
13006 @item nnslashdot-password
13007 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13008 The password to use when posting.
13010 @item nnslashdot-directory
13011 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13012 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
13013 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13015 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13016 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13017 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13018 news articles and comments. The default is
13019 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13021 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13022 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13023 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13025 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13027 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13028 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13029 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13031 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13033 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13034 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13035 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13037 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13038 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13039 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13040 updated. The default is 0.
13047 @subsection Ultimate
13049 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13051 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13052 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13053 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13054 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13056 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13057 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13058 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13059 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13060 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13061 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13062 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13064 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13067 @item nnultimate-directory
13068 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13069 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13070 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13075 @subsection Web Archive
13077 @cindex Web Archive
13079 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13080 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13081 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13082 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13085 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13086 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13087 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13088 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13089 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13090 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13091 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13093 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13096 @item nnwarchive-directory
13097 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13098 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13099 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13101 @item nnwarchive-login
13102 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13103 The account name on the web server.
13105 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13106 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13107 The password for your account on the web server.
13111 @node Customizing w3
13112 @subsection Customizing w3
13118 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13119 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13120 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13122 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13123 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13124 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13127 (eval-after-load "w3"
13129 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13130 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13131 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13132 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13134 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13137 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13138 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13142 @node Other Sources
13143 @section Other Sources
13145 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13146 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13150 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13151 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13152 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13153 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13154 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13155 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13159 @node Directory Groups
13160 @subsection Directory Groups
13162 @cindex directory groups
13164 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13165 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13168 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13169 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13170 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13171 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13173 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13174 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13175 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13176 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13177 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13179 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13181 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13182 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13183 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13184 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13187 @node Anything Groups
13188 @subsection Anything Groups
13191 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13192 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13193 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13196 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13197 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13198 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13199 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13200 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13201 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13202 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13203 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13204 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13205 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13208 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13209 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13210 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13211 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13213 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13214 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13215 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13216 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13218 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13219 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13220 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13221 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13222 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13223 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13224 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13225 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13230 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13231 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13232 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13233 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13235 @item nneething-exclude-files
13236 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13237 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13238 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13240 @item nneething-include-files
13241 @vindex nneething-include-files
13242 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13243 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13245 @item nneething-map-file
13246 @vindex nneething-map-file
13247 Name of the map files.
13251 @node Document Groups
13252 @subsection Document Groups
13254 @cindex documentation group
13257 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13258 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13265 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13270 The standard Unix mbox file.
13272 @cindex MMDF mail box
13274 The MMDF mail box format.
13277 Several news articles appended into a file.
13280 @cindex rnews batch files
13281 The rnews batch transport format.
13282 @cindex forwarded messages
13285 Forwarded articles.
13288 Netscape mail boxes.
13291 MIME multipart messages.
13293 @item standard-digest
13294 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13297 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13300 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13301 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13302 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13305 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13306 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13307 group. And that's it.
13309 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13310 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13311 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13312 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13313 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13314 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13315 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13316 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13317 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13318 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13320 Virtual server variables:
13323 @item nndoc-article-type
13324 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13325 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13326 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13327 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13328 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13330 @item nndoc-post-type
13331 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13332 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13333 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13338 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13342 @node Document Server Internals
13343 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13345 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13346 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13347 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13348 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13350 First, here's an example document type definition:
13354 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13355 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13358 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13359 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13360 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13361 types can be defined with very few settings:
13364 @item first-article
13365 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13366 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13369 @item article-begin
13370 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13371 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13373 @item head-begin-function
13374 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13377 @item nndoc-head-begin
13378 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13381 @item nndoc-head-end
13382 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13383 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13385 @item body-begin-function
13386 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13390 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13393 @item body-end-function
13394 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13398 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13401 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13402 regexp will be totally ignored.
13406 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13407 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13408 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13409 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13410 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13413 @item prepare-body-function
13414 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13415 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13416 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13418 @item article-transform-function
13419 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13420 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13421 body of the article.
13423 @item generate-head-function
13424 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13425 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13426 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13427 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13431 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13436 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13437 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13438 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13439 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13440 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13441 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13442 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13443 (subtype digest guess))
13446 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13447 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13448 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13449 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13450 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13452 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13453 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13454 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13455 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13456 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
13457 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13458 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13459 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13460 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13461 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13469 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13470 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13471 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13473 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13474 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13475 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13478 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13479 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13480 that interested in doing things properly.
13482 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13483 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13486 First some terminology:
13491 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13492 get news and/or mail from.
13495 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13496 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13499 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13503 @item message packets
13504 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13505 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13506 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13508 @item response packets
13509 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13510 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13511 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13521 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13522 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13523 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13524 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13527 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13530 You put the packet in your home directory.
13533 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13534 the native or secondary server.
13537 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13538 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13541 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13545 You transfer this packet to the server.
13548 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13551 You then repeat until you die.
13555 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13556 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13559 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13560 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13561 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13565 @node SOUP Commands
13566 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13568 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13572 @kindex G s b (Group)
13573 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13574 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13575 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13576 process/prefix convention.
13579 @kindex G s w (Group)
13580 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13581 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13584 @kindex G s s (Group)
13585 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13586 Send all replies from the replies packet
13587 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13590 @kindex G s p (Group)
13591 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13592 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13595 @kindex G s r (Group)
13596 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13597 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13600 @kindex O s (Summary)
13601 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13602 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13603 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13604 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13609 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13614 @item gnus-soup-directory
13615 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13616 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13617 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13619 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13620 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13621 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13622 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13624 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13625 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13626 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13627 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13629 @item gnus-soup-packer
13630 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13631 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13632 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13634 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13635 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13636 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13637 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13639 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13640 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13641 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13643 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13644 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13645 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13646 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13652 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13655 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13656 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13657 you can read them at leisure.
13659 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13663 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13664 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13665 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13666 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13668 @item nnsoup-directory
13669 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13670 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13671 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13673 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13674 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13675 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13676 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13678 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13679 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13680 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13681 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13682 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13684 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13685 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13686 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13687 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13689 @item nnsoup-active-file
13690 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13691 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13692 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13693 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13694 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13696 @item nnsoup-packer
13697 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13698 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13699 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13701 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13702 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13703 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13704 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13706 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13707 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13708 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13711 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13712 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13713 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13716 @item nnsoup-always-save
13717 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13718 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13724 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13726 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13727 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13728 more for that to happen.
13730 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13731 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13732 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13735 In specific, this is what it does:
13738 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13739 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13742 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13743 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13744 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13747 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13748 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13749 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13752 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13753 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13754 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13756 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13762 @item nngateway-address
13763 @vindex nngateway-address
13764 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13766 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13767 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13768 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13769 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13770 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13771 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13772 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13775 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13776 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13777 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13780 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13783 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13786 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13789 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13791 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13794 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13795 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13796 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13798 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13800 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13801 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13802 @code{nngateway-address}.
13807 (setq gnus-post-method
13808 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
13809 (nngateway-header-transformation
13810 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13818 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13821 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13827 @subsection @sc{imap}
13831 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
13832 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
13833 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
13834 specify the network address of the server.
13836 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
13837 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
13838 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
13839 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
13840 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
13842 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
13843 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
13844 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
13845 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13847 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
13848 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
13849 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
13850 usage explained in this section.
13852 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
13853 might look something like this:
13856 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13857 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
13858 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
13860 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13861 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
13862 ; a UW server running on localhost
13864 (nnimap-server-port 143)
13865 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13866 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
13867 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
13868 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
13869 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
13870 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
13871 (nnimap-stream network))
13872 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
13874 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
13875 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
13876 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
13879 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
13884 @item nnimap-address
13885 @vindex nnimap-address
13887 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
13888 server name if not specified.
13890 @item nnimap-server-port
13891 @vindex nnimap-server-port
13892 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
13894 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
13897 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13898 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
13901 @item nnimap-list-pattern
13902 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
13903 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
13904 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
13905 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
13906 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
13907 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
13909 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
13910 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
13911 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
13914 Example server specification:
13917 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13918 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
13919 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
13922 @item nnimap-stream
13923 @vindex nnimap-stream
13924 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
13925 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
13926 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
13927 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
13929 Example server specification:
13932 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13933 (nnimap-stream ssl))
13936 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
13940 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
13941 @samp{imtest} program.
13943 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
13945 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
13946 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13949 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
13950 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
13952 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
13954 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
13957 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
13958 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
13959 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
13960 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
13963 @vindex imap-ssl-program
13964 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
13965 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
13966 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
13967 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
13968 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
13969 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
13972 @vindex imap-shell-program
13973 @vindex imap-shell-host
13974 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
13975 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
13977 @item nnimap-authenticator
13978 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
13980 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
13981 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
13983 Example server specification:
13986 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13987 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
13990 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
13994 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
13995 external program @code{imtest}.
13997 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14000 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14001 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14003 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14005 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14007 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14010 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14012 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14013 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14014 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14015 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14016 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14017 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14020 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14021 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14022 running in circles yet?
14024 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14025 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14028 The possible options are:
14033 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14036 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14037 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14038 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14039 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14041 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14046 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14047 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14049 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format
14050 is (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See
14051 `nntp-authinfo-file' for exact syntax.
14053 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14054 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14055 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14061 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14062 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14063 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14068 @node Splitting in IMAP
14069 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14070 @cindex splitting imap mail
14072 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14073 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14074 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14075 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14076 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14080 Here are the variables of interest:
14084 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14085 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14087 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14089 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14090 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14092 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14094 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14095 @cindex splitting, inbox
14097 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14099 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14100 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14104 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14105 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14108 No nnmail equivalent.
14110 @item nnimap-split-rule
14111 @cindex Splitting, rules
14112 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14114 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14117 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14118 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14119 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14120 Neither did I, we need examples.
14123 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14124 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14125 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14126 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14129 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14130 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14131 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
14133 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14134 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14138 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14141 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14142 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14143 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14144 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14146 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14147 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14148 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14149 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
14150 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14151 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14153 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14154 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14155 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14157 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14158 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14159 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14161 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14163 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14164 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14165 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14168 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14169 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14170 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14171 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14172 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14173 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14176 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14177 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14178 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14179 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14180 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14181 group/function elements.
14183 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14185 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14187 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14189 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14190 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14192 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14193 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14194 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14197 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14198 @cindex splitting, fancy
14199 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14200 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14202 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14203 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14204 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14206 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14207 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14208 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14209 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14214 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14215 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14218 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14222 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14223 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14224 @cindex editing imap acls
14225 @cindex Access Control Lists
14226 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14228 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14230 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14231 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14232 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14235 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14236 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14237 editing window with detailed instructions.
14239 Some possible uses:
14243 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14244 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14245 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14247 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14248 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14249 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14253 @node Expunging mailboxes
14254 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14258 @cindex Manual expunging
14260 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14262 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
14263 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14264 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14266 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14271 @node Combined Groups
14272 @section Combined Groups
14274 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14278 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14279 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14283 @node Virtual Groups
14284 @subsection Virtual Groups
14286 @cindex virtual groups
14287 @cindex merging groups
14289 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14292 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14293 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14294 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14296 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14297 regexp to match component groups.
14299 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14300 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14301 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14302 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14303 the virtual group.)
14305 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14306 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14309 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14312 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14313 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14315 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14316 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14317 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14318 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14321 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14324 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14325 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14326 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14328 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14329 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14330 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14331 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14332 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14334 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14335 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14336 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14338 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14339 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14340 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14341 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14342 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14343 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14344 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14345 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14346 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14347 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14348 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14350 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14351 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14352 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14353 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14354 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14355 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14356 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14358 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14359 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14363 @node Kibozed Groups
14364 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14368 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14369 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14370 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14371 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14373 @kindex G k (Group)
14374 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14377 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14378 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14379 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14380 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14382 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14383 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14384 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14386 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14387 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14388 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14389 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14390 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14391 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14392 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14393 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14395 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14396 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14397 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14398 Stranger things have happened.
14400 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14401 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14403 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14404 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14405 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14406 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14407 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14408 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14410 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14411 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14414 @node Gnus Unplugged
14415 @section Gnus Unplugged
14420 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14422 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14423 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14424 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14425 read news. Believe it or not.
14427 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14428 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14429 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14430 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14431 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14433 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14434 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14435 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14436 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14437 reading news on a machine.
14439 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14443 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14444 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14448 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14449 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14456 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14458 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14461 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14462 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14463 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14464 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14465 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14466 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14467 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14468 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14469 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14470 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14475 @subsection Agent Basics
14477 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14479 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14480 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14481 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14482 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14484 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14485 connected to the net continuously.
14487 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14488 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14490 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14495 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14496 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14497 already fetched while in this mode.
14500 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14501 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14502 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14503 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14504 Source Specifiers}).
14507 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14508 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14509 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14510 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14511 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14514 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14515 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14516 then you read the news offline.
14519 And then you go to step 2.
14522 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14528 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14529 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14530 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14531 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14532 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14533 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14536 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14543 @node Agent Categories
14544 @subsection Agent Categories
14546 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14547 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14548 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14549 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14550 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14551 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14552 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14554 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14555 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14556 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14557 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14558 managing categories.
14561 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14562 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14563 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14567 @node Category Syntax
14568 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14570 A category consists of two things.
14574 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14575 are eligible for downloading; and
14578 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14579 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14580 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14583 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14584 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14585 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14586 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14588 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14589 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14590 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14592 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14593 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14594 operators sprinkled in between.
14596 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14598 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14599 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14605 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14606 short (for some value of ``short'').
14608 Here's a more complex predicate:
14617 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14618 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14621 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14622 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14623 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14625 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14626 you want to do, you can write your own.
14630 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14631 lines; default 100.
14634 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14635 lines; default 200.
14638 True iff the article has a download score less than
14639 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14642 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14643 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14646 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14647 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14648 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14657 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14658 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14659 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14662 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14663 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14664 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14665 something along the lines of the following:
14668 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14669 "Say whether an article is old."
14670 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14671 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14674 with the predicate then defined as:
14677 (not my-article-old-p)
14680 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14681 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14682 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14683 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14686 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
14687 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14688 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14691 and simply specify your predicate as:
14697 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14698 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14699 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14700 just don't give a damn.
14702 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14703 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14704 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14705 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14706 parameters like so:
14709 (agent-predicate . short)
14712 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14713 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14714 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14716 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14719 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14722 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14723 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14724 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14727 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14728 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14729 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14730 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14731 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14732 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14734 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14735 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14736 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14737 if it's to be specific to that group.
14739 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14746 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14747 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14753 Category specification
14757 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14763 Group Parameter specification
14766 (agent-score ("from"
14767 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14772 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14778 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14785 Category specification
14788 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14794 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14798 Group Parameter specification
14801 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14804 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14809 Use @code{normal} score files
14811 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14812 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14813 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14814 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14816 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14817 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14818 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
14819 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14823 Category Specification
14830 Group Parameter specification
14833 (agent-score . file)
14838 @node The Category Buffer
14839 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
14841 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
14842 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
14843 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
14845 The following commands are available in this buffer:
14849 @kindex q (Category)
14850 @findex gnus-category-exit
14851 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
14854 @kindex k (Category)
14855 @findex gnus-category-kill
14856 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
14859 @kindex c (Category)
14860 @findex gnus-category-copy
14861 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
14864 @kindex a (Category)
14865 @findex gnus-category-add
14866 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
14869 @kindex p (Category)
14870 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
14871 Edit the predicate of the current category
14872 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
14875 @kindex g (Category)
14876 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
14877 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
14878 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
14881 @kindex s (Category)
14882 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
14883 Edit the download score rule of the current category
14884 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
14887 @kindex l (Category)
14888 @findex gnus-category-list
14889 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
14893 @node Category Variables
14894 @subsubsection Category Variables
14897 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
14898 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
14899 Hook run in category buffers.
14901 @item gnus-category-line-format
14902 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
14903 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
14904 Variables}). Valid elements are:
14908 The name of the category.
14911 The number of groups in the category.
14914 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
14915 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
14916 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
14918 @item gnus-agent-short-article
14919 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
14920 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
14922 @item gnus-agent-long-article
14923 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
14924 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
14926 @item gnus-agent-low-score
14927 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
14928 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
14931 @item gnus-agent-high-score
14932 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
14933 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
14939 @node Agent Commands
14940 @subsection Agent Commands
14942 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
14943 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
14944 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
14948 * Group Agent Commands::
14949 * Summary Agent Commands::
14950 * Server Agent Commands::
14953 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
14954 following incantation:
14956 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14958 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14963 @node Group Agent Commands
14964 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
14968 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
14969 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
14970 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
14971 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
14974 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
14975 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
14976 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
14979 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
14980 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
14981 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
14982 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
14985 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
14986 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
14987 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
14988 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
14991 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
14992 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
14993 Add the current group to an Agent category
14994 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
14995 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14998 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
14999 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15000 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15001 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15002 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15005 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15006 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15007 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15013 @node Summary Agent Commands
15014 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15018 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15019 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15020 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15023 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15024 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15025 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15026 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15029 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15030 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15031 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15034 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15035 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15036 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15041 @node Server Agent Commands
15042 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15046 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15047 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15048 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15049 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15052 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15053 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15054 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15055 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15061 @subsection Agent Expiry
15063 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15064 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15065 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15066 @cindex Agent expiry
15067 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15070 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15071 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15072 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15073 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15074 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15075 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15077 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15078 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15079 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15080 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15081 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15084 @node Agent and IMAP
15085 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15087 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15088 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15089 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15090 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15092 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15093 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15094 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15095 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15097 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15098 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15099 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15100 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15101 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15103 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15104 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15105 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15106 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15107 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15108 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15110 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15111 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15112 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15113 in the group buffer by default.
15115 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15116 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15121 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15124 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15128 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15129 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15130 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15131 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15132 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15133 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15134 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15135 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15138 @node Outgoing Messages
15139 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15141 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15142 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15143 after posting, and edit them at will.
15145 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15146 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15147 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15148 messages in the draft group.
15152 @node Agent Variables
15153 @subsection Agent Variables
15156 @item gnus-agent-directory
15157 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15158 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15159 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15161 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15162 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15163 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15164 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15165 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15168 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15169 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15170 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15172 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15173 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15174 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15179 @node Example Setup
15180 @subsection Example Setup
15182 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15183 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15184 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15187 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15188 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15189 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15191 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15192 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15193 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15195 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15196 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15198 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15202 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15203 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15206 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15207 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15208 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15209 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15210 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15213 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15214 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15215 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15216 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15217 back all the killed groups.)
15219 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15220 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15221 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15224 @node Batching Agents
15225 @subsection Batching Agents
15227 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15228 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15229 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15233 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15237 @node Agent Caveats
15238 @subsection Agent Caveats
15240 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15241 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15245 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15250 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15251 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15257 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15258 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15265 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15266 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15267 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15270 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15271 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15272 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15273 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15274 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15276 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15277 before generating the summary buffer.
15279 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15280 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15281 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15283 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15284 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15285 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15286 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15289 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15290 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15291 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15292 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15293 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15294 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15295 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15296 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15297 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15298 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15299 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15300 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15301 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15302 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15303 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15304 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15308 @node Summary Score Commands
15309 @section Summary Score Commands
15310 @cindex score commands
15312 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15313 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15314 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15315 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15316 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15318 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15319 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15320 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15321 score file the current one.
15323 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15328 @kindex V s (Summary)
15329 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15330 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15333 @kindex V S (Summary)
15334 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15335 Display the score of the current article
15336 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15339 @kindex V t (Summary)
15340 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15341 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15342 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15345 @kindex V R (Summary)
15346 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15347 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15348 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15349 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15350 effect you're having.
15353 @kindex V c (Summary)
15354 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15355 Make a different score file the current
15356 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15359 @kindex V e (Summary)
15360 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15361 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15362 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15366 @kindex V f (Summary)
15367 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15368 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15369 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15372 @kindex V F (Summary)
15373 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15374 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15375 after editing score files.
15378 @kindex V C (Summary)
15379 @findex gnus-score-customize
15380 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15381 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15385 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15390 @kindex V m (Summary)
15391 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15392 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15393 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15396 @kindex V x (Summary)
15397 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15398 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15399 expunge all articles below this score
15400 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15403 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15404 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15407 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15408 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15412 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15413 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15415 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15416 keys are available:
15420 Score on the author name.
15423 Score on the subject line.
15426 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15429 Score on the @code{References} line.
15435 Score on the number of lines.
15438 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15441 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15442 the followups to this author.
15456 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15457 what headers you are scoring on.
15469 Substring matching.
15472 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15501 Greater than number.
15506 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15507 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15508 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15512 Temporary score entry.
15515 Permanent score entry.
15518 Immediately scoring.
15523 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15524 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15525 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15526 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15528 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15529 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15530 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15531 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15532 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15534 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15535 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15536 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15537 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15538 current score file.
15540 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15541 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15542 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15545 @node Group Score Commands
15546 @section Group Score Commands
15547 @cindex group score commands
15549 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15554 @kindex W f (Group)
15555 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15556 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15557 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15558 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15562 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15564 @findex gnus-batch-score
15565 @cindex batch scoring
15567 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15571 @node Score Variables
15572 @section Score Variables
15573 @cindex score variables
15577 @item gnus-use-scoring
15578 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15579 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15580 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15582 @item gnus-kill-killed
15583 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15584 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15585 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15586 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15587 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15588 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15589 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15591 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15592 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15593 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15594 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15595 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15597 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15598 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15599 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15600 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15602 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15603 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15604 @cindex score cache
15605 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15606 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15607 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
15608 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15609 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15610 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15613 @item gnus-save-score
15614 @vindex gnus-save-score
15615 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15616 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15617 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15619 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15620 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15621 across group visits.
15623 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15624 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15625 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15626 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15627 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15628 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15629 manually entered data.
15631 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15632 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15633 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15635 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15636 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15637 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15638 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15639 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15640 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15642 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15643 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15644 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15645 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15647 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15648 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15649 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15650 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15652 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15653 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15654 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15655 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15657 Predefined functions available are:
15660 @item gnus-score-find-single
15661 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15662 Only apply the group's own score file.
15664 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15665 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15666 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15667 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15668 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15669 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15670 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15671 then a regexp match is done.
15673 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15674 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15676 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15677 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15678 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15679 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15681 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15682 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15683 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15684 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15685 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
15689 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15690 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
15691 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
15692 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
15693 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
15694 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
15695 returned is the local score file. Phu.
15697 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
15698 overall score file, you could use the value
15700 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE")) 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
15703 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15704 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15705 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15706 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15707 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15709 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15710 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15711 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15712 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15713 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15714 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15715 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15718 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15719 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15720 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15722 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15723 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15724 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15725 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15726 threading---according to the current value of
15727 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15728 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15729 simplified in this manner.
15734 @node Score File Format
15735 @section Score File Format
15736 @cindex score file format
15738 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15739 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15740 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15742 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15746 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15748 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15750 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15752 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15757 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15761 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15762 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15763 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15764 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15768 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15769 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15771 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15772 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15773 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15775 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15780 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15781 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15782 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15783 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15784 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15785 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15786 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15787 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15788 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15789 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15790 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15791 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15792 to articles that matches these score entries.
15794 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15795 score entry has one to four elements.
15799 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15800 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15804 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15805 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15806 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15807 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15808 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15809 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15812 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15813 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15814 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15815 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15816 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15819 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15820 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15821 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15822 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15825 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15826 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15827 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15828 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15829 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15830 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15831 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15832 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
15833 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
15834 instead, if you feel like.
15837 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
15838 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
15840 These predicates are true if
15843 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
15846 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
15847 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
15854 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
15855 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
15856 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
15857 it's not. I think.)
15859 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
15860 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
15861 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
15862 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
15865 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
15866 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
15867 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
15868 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
15869 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
15870 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
15871 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
15875 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
15876 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
15877 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
15878 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
15879 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
15880 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
15881 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
15882 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
15885 @item Head, Body, All
15886 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
15890 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
15891 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
15892 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
15893 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
15894 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
15895 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
15896 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
15900 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
15901 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
15902 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
15903 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
15904 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
15905 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
15906 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
15907 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
15908 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
15909 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
15910 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
15914 @cindex Score File Atoms
15916 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15917 lower than this number will be marked as read.
15920 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15921 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
15923 @item mark-and-expunge
15924 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15925 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
15928 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
15929 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
15930 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
15931 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
15932 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
15935 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
15936 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
15939 @item exclude-files
15940 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
15941 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
15945 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
15946 ignored when handling global score files.
15949 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
15950 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
15951 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
15952 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
15955 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
15956 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
15957 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
15958 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
15960 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
15964 (mark-and-expunge -100)
15967 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
15968 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
15969 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
15970 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
15971 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
15973 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
15974 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
15975 ordinary scoring rules.
15978 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
15979 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
15980 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
15981 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
15982 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
15983 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
15984 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15985 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
15986 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
15987 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
15988 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
15992 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
15993 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
15994 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
15995 file for a number of groups.
15998 @cindex local variables
15999 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16000 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16001 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16002 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16003 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16007 @node Score File Editing
16008 @section Score File Editing
16010 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16011 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16012 with a mode for that.
16014 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16015 additional commands:
16020 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16021 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16022 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16023 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16026 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16027 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16028 Insert the current date in numerical format
16029 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16030 you were wondering.
16033 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16034 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16035 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16036 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16037 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16042 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16044 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16045 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16047 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16048 e} to begin editing score files.
16051 @node Adaptive Scoring
16052 @section Adaptive Scoring
16053 @cindex adaptive scoring
16055 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16056 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16057 stupidity, to be precise.
16059 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16060 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16061 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16062 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16063 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16064 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16065 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16066 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16067 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16069 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16070 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16071 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16072 might look something like this:
16075 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16076 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16077 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16078 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16079 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16080 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16081 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16082 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16083 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16084 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16085 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16086 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16089 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16090 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16091 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16092 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16093 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16094 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16097 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16098 will be applied to each article.
16100 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16101 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16102 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16103 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16105 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16106 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16107 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16108 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16110 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16111 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16112 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16113 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16115 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16116 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16117 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16118 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16119 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16120 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16122 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16123 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16124 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16125 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16126 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16127 aspirins afterwards.)
16129 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16130 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16131 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16133 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16134 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16135 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16137 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16138 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16139 let you use different rules in different groups.
16141 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16142 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16143 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16146 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16147 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16148 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16149 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16150 the length of the match is less than
16151 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16152 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16155 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16156 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16157 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16158 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16159 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16162 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16163 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16164 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16165 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16166 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16169 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16170 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16171 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16172 score with 30 points.
16174 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16175 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16176 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16177 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16178 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16180 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16181 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16182 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16183 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16185 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16186 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16187 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16188 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16190 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16191 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16192 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16193 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16194 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16196 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16197 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16198 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16200 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16201 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16202 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16203 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16206 @node Home Score File
16207 @section Home Score File
16209 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16210 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16211 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16212 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16214 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16215 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16216 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16218 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16219 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16224 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16228 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16229 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16233 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16237 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16238 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
16241 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16242 the home score file.
16245 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16248 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16253 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16256 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16257 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16260 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16261 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16263 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16265 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16266 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16269 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16270 Other functions include
16273 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16274 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16275 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16276 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16280 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16281 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16282 their own home score files:
16285 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16286 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16287 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16288 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16289 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16292 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16293 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16294 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16295 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16296 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16298 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16299 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16300 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16301 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16302 precedence over this variable.
16305 @node Followups To Yourself
16306 @section Followups To Yourself
16308 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16309 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16310 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16311 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16312 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16313 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16317 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16318 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16319 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16322 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16323 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16324 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16328 @vindex message-sent-hook
16329 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16330 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16332 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16336 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16337 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16341 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16342 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16345 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16346 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16351 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16355 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16356 is system-dependent.
16360 @section Scoring Tips
16361 @cindex scoring tips
16367 @cindex scoring crossposts
16368 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16369 the @code{Xref} header.
16371 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16374 @item Multiple crossposts
16375 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16376 more than, say, 3 groups:
16378 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
16381 @item Matching on the body
16382 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16383 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16384 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16385 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16386 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16387 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16388 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16391 @item Marking as read
16392 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16393 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16394 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16398 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16400 @item Negated character classes
16401 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16402 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16403 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16407 @node Reverse Scoring
16408 @section Reverse Scoring
16409 @cindex reverse scoring
16411 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16412 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16413 like this in your score file:
16417 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16422 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16423 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16426 @node Global Score Files
16427 @section Global Score Files
16428 @cindex global score files
16430 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16431 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16432 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16434 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16435 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16436 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16438 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16439 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16440 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16441 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16442 files are applicable to which group.
16444 Say you want to use the score file
16445 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16446 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
16449 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16450 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16451 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16454 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16455 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16456 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16457 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16458 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16460 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16461 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16463 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16464 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16465 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16466 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16467 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16468 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16470 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16476 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16478 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16480 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16482 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16483 lowered out of existence.
16485 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16486 articles completely.
16489 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16490 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16491 old articles for a long time.
16494 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16495 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16496 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16497 holding our breath yet?
16501 @section Kill Files
16504 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16505 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16506 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16508 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16509 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16510 files into score files.
16512 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16513 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16514 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16515 that isn't a very good idea.
16517 Normal kill files look like this:
16520 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16521 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16525 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16526 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16528 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16529 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16532 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16537 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16538 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16539 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16542 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16543 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16544 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16547 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16552 @kindex M-k (Group)
16553 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16554 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16557 @kindex M-K (Group)
16558 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16559 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16562 Kill file variables:
16565 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16566 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16567 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16568 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16569 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16570 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16571 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16573 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16574 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16575 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16576 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16579 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16580 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16581 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16582 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16583 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16584 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16585 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16586 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16587 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16589 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16590 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16591 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16596 @node Converting Kill Files
16597 @section Converting Kill Files
16599 @cindex converting kill files
16601 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16602 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16603 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16606 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16607 You can fetch it from
16608 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16610 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16611 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16612 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16620 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16621 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16622 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16624 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16625 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16626 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16627 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16628 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16629 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16630 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16631 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16635 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16636 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16637 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16638 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16642 @node Using GroupLens
16643 @subsection Using GroupLens
16645 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16647 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16648 better bit in town at the moment.
16650 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16654 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16655 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16656 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16657 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16659 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16660 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16661 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16662 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16664 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16665 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16666 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16670 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16671 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16672 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16673 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16674 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16675 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16678 @node Rating Articles
16679 @subsection Rating Articles
16681 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16682 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16683 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16684 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16687 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16692 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16693 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16694 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16697 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16698 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16699 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16700 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16701 threads in rec.humor.
16705 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16706 the score of the article you're reading.
16711 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16712 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16713 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16716 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16717 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16718 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16722 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16723 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16726 @node Displaying Predictions
16727 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16729 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16730 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16731 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16732 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16733 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16735 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16736 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16737 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16738 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16739 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16740 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16741 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16742 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16743 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16744 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16745 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16746 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16747 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16749 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16750 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16751 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16752 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16754 The following are valid values for that variable.
16757 @item prediction-spot
16758 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16761 @item confidence-interval
16762 A numeric confidence interval.
16764 @item prediction-bar
16765 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16767 @item confidence-bar
16768 Numerical confidence.
16770 @item confidence-spot
16771 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16773 @item prediction-num
16774 Plain-old numeric value.
16776 @item confidence-plus-minus
16777 Prediction +/- confidence.
16782 @node GroupLens Variables
16783 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16787 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16788 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16789 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16790 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16793 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16794 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16797 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16798 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16800 @item grouplens-score-offset
16801 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16802 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16805 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16806 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16807 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16812 @node Advanced Scoring
16813 @section Advanced Scoring
16815 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16816 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16817 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16818 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16819 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16821 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
16825 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
16826 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
16827 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
16831 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
16832 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
16834 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
16835 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
16836 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
16837 non-@code{nil} value.
16839 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
16840 operator, and various match operators.
16847 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16848 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
16849 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
16854 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16855 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
16856 then this operator will return @code{false}.
16861 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
16862 logical negation of the value of its argument.
16866 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
16867 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
16868 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
16869 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
16870 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
16871 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
16872 the ancestry you want to go.
16874 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
16875 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
16876 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
16877 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
16878 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
16881 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
16882 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
16884 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
16885 when he's talking about Gnus:
16889 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16890 ("subject" "Gnus"))
16896 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
16900 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16907 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
16908 really don't want to read what he's written:
16912 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16913 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
16917 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
16918 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
16919 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
16926 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
16927 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
16928 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
16929 ("body" "white.*socks"))
16933 The possibilities are endless.
16936 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
16937 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
16939 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
16940 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
16941 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
16942 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
16943 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
16944 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
16945 @samp{subject}) first.
16947 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
16948 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
16959 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
16960 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
16966 ("subject" "Gnus")))
16973 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
16974 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
16979 @section Score Decays
16980 @cindex score decays
16983 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
16984 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
16985 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
16986 use them in any sensible way.
16988 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
16989 @findex gnus-decay-score
16990 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
16991 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
16992 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
16993 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
16994 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
16995 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
16996 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
16997 definition of that function:
17000 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17002 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17003 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17006 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17008 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17010 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17013 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17014 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17015 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17016 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17020 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17023 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17026 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17030 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17031 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17032 the new score, which should be an integer.
17034 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17035 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17042 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17043 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17044 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17045 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17046 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17047 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17048 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17049 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17050 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17051 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17052 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17053 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17054 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17055 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17056 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17057 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17058 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17059 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17063 @node Process/Prefix
17064 @section Process/Prefix
17065 @cindex process/prefix convention
17067 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17068 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17070 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17071 command to be performed on.
17075 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17076 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17077 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17078 with the current one.
17080 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17081 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17082 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17084 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17085 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17088 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17089 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17091 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17094 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17095 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17096 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17097 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17099 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17100 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17101 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17102 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17103 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17104 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17105 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17106 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17108 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17109 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17110 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17111 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17112 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17116 @section Interactive
17117 @cindex interaction
17121 @item gnus-novice-user
17122 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17123 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17124 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17125 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17126 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17129 @item gnus-expert-user
17130 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17131 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17132 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17133 matter how strange.
17135 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17136 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17137 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17138 is @code{t} by default.
17140 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17141 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17142 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17147 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17148 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17149 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17151 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17152 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17153 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17154 rule of 900 to the current article.
17156 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17157 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17158 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17159 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17160 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17161 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17162 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17164 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17165 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17166 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17167 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17168 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17169 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17170 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17171 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17172 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17174 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17175 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17176 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17178 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17182 @node Formatting Variables
17183 @section Formatting Variables
17184 @cindex formatting variables
17186 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17187 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17188 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17189 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17190 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17193 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17194 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17195 lots of percentages everywhere.
17198 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17199 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17200 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17201 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17202 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17205 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17206 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17207 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17208 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17209 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17210 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17211 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17212 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17214 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17215 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17217 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17218 @findex gnus-update-format
17219 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17220 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17221 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17222 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17226 @node Formatting Basics
17227 @subsection Formatting Basics
17229 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17230 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17231 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17233 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17234 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17235 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17236 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17237 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17240 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17241 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17242 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17243 less than 4 characters wide.
17246 @node Mode Line Formatting
17247 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17249 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17250 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17251 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17252 with the following two differences:
17257 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17260 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17261 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17262 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17263 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17264 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17265 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17266 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17271 @node Advanced Formatting
17272 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17274 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17275 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17276 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17277 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17279 These are the valid modifiers:
17284 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17288 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17293 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17296 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17301 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17304 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17307 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17310 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17314 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17315 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17316 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17317 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17318 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17319 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17320 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17322 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17323 last operation, padding.
17325 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17326 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
17327 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
17328 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
17329 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
17330 the look of your lines.
17331 @xref{Compilation}.
17334 @node User-Defined Specs
17335 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17337 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17338 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17339 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17340 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17341 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17342 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17343 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17344 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17345 should protect against that.
17347 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17348 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17349 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17350 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17354 @node Formatting Fonts
17355 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17357 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17358 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17359 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17360 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17363 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17364 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17365 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17366 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17367 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17368 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17370 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17371 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17372 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17373 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17374 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17375 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17376 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17377 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17379 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17382 ;; Create three face types.
17383 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17384 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17386 ;; We want the article count to be in
17387 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17388 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17389 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17391 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17392 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17394 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17395 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17396 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17399 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17400 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17402 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17403 mode-line variables.
17406 @node Windows Configuration
17407 @section Windows Configuration
17408 @cindex windows configuration
17410 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17412 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17413 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17414 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17415 @code{t} by default.
17417 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17418 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17420 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17421 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17422 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17425 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17426 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17427 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17431 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17432 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17433 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17434 possible names is listed below.
17436 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17437 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17440 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17444 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17445 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17446 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17447 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17448 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17449 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17450 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17451 size spec per split.
17453 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17454 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17455 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17456 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17457 present) gets focus.
17459 Here's a more complicated example:
17462 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17463 (summary 0.25 point)
17464 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17468 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17469 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17470 occupy, not a percentage.
17472 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17473 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17474 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17475 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17476 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17479 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17482 (article (horizontal 1.0
17487 (summary 0.25 point)
17492 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17493 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17495 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17496 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17497 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17498 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17499 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17501 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17502 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17503 lines from the splits.
17505 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17509 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17510 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17511 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17512 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17513 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17514 size = number | frame-params
17515 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
17518 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17519 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17520 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17521 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17523 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17524 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17525 @cindex window height
17526 @cindex window width
17527 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17528 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17529 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17530 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17531 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17532 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17534 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17535 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17536 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17537 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17539 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17540 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17541 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17542 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17543 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17544 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17545 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17546 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17547 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17548 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17549 configuration list.
17552 (gnus-configure-frame
17556 (article 0.3 point))
17564 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17565 @code{frame} split:
17568 (gnus-configure-frame
17571 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17573 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17574 (user-position . t)
17575 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17580 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17581 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17582 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17583 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17584 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17585 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17586 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17587 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17589 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17590 be found in its default value.
17592 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17593 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17594 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17598 (message (horizontal 1.0
17599 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17601 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17606 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17607 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17608 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17611 (message (frame 1.0
17612 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17613 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17614 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17615 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17616 (name . "Message"))
17617 (message 1.0 point))))
17620 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17621 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17622 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17623 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17624 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17627 (gnus-add-configuration
17628 '(article (vertical 1.0
17630 (summary .25 point)
17634 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17635 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17636 Gnus has been loaded.
17638 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17639 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17640 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17641 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17642 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17644 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17645 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17646 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17649 @subsection Example Window Configurations
17653 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
17654 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
17669 (gnus-add-configuration
17672 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17674 (summary 0.16 point)
17677 (gnus-add-configuration
17680 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17681 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
17687 @node Faces and Fonts
17688 @section Faces and Fonts
17693 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17694 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17695 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17700 @section Compilation
17701 @cindex compilation
17702 @cindex byte-compilation
17704 @findex gnus-compile
17706 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17707 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17708 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
17709 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
17710 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
17711 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17712 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17713 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17716 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17717 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17718 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17719 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
17720 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17723 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
17724 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17725 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
17726 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
17727 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
17732 @section Mode Lines
17735 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17736 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17737 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17738 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17739 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17740 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17741 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17744 @cindex display-time
17746 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17747 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17748 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17749 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17750 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17751 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17752 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17753 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17756 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17758 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17759 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17761 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17762 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17763 (length display-time-string)))))
17766 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17767 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17768 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17769 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17770 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17773 @node Highlighting and Menus
17774 @section Highlighting and Menus
17776 @cindex highlighting
17779 @vindex gnus-visual
17780 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17781 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17782 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17785 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17786 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17789 @item group-highlight
17790 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17791 @item summary-highlight
17792 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17793 @item article-highlight
17794 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17796 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17798 Create menus in the group buffer.
17800 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17802 Create menus in the article buffer.
17804 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17806 Create menus in the server buffer.
17808 Create menus in the score buffers.
17810 Create menus in all buffers.
17813 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17814 buffers, you could say something like:
17817 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17820 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
17823 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
17826 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
17827 in all Gnus buffers.
17829 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
17832 @item gnus-mouse-face
17833 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
17834 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
17835 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
17839 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
17843 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
17844 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
17845 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
17847 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
17848 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
17849 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
17851 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
17852 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
17853 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
17855 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
17856 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
17857 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
17859 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
17860 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
17861 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
17863 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
17864 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
17865 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
17876 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
17877 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
17878 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
17879 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
17880 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
17884 @vindex gnus-carpal
17885 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
17886 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
17887 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
17892 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17893 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17894 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
17896 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
17897 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
17898 Face used on buttons.
17900 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
17901 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
17902 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
17904 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17905 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17906 Buttons in the group buffer.
17908 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17909 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17910 Buttons in the summary buffer.
17912 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17913 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17914 Buttons in the server buffer.
17916 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17917 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17918 Buttons in the browse buffer.
17921 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
17922 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
17923 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
17931 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
17932 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
17933 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
17934 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
17935 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
17937 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
17938 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
17939 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
17941 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
17942 been idle for thirty minutes:
17945 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
17948 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
17952 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
17955 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
17956 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
17957 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17959 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
17960 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
17961 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
17962 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17964 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
17965 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
17966 @var{idle} minutes.
17968 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
17969 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
17972 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
17973 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
17974 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
17976 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
17977 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
17978 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
17979 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
17981 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
17982 your @file{.gnus} file:
17984 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
17986 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
17989 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
17990 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
17991 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
17992 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
17993 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
17994 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
17995 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
17996 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
17997 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
17998 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
17999 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18001 @findex gnus-demon-init
18002 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18003 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18004 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18005 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18006 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18008 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18009 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18010 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18019 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18020 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18022 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18023 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18024 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18025 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18028 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18029 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18030 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18031 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18033 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18034 this will make spam disappear.
18036 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18039 @item gnus-use-nocem
18040 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18041 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18044 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18045 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18046 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18047 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18048 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18050 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18051 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18052 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18053 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18054 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18055 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18057 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18058 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18060 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18061 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18062 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18063 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18064 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18065 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18066 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18067 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18068 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18069 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18071 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18072 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18075 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18078 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18079 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18082 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18085 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18088 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18089 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18091 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18092 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18093 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18094 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18096 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18097 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18100 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18102 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18110 This might be dangerous, though.
18112 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18113 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18114 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18115 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18117 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18118 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18119 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18120 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18121 might then see old spam.
18123 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18124 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18125 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18126 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18127 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18130 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18131 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18132 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18133 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18137 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18138 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18139 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18140 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18147 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18148 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18149 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18151 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18152 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18153 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18154 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18155 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18156 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18157 @code{undo} function.
18159 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18160 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18161 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18162 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18163 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18164 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18165 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18166 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18167 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18168 never be totally undoable.
18170 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18171 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18173 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18174 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18175 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
18176 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18181 @section Moderation
18184 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18185 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18186 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18189 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18193 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18196 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18198 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18203 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18204 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18205 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18208 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18209 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18212 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18213 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18217 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18220 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18221 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18225 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18226 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18229 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18233 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18234 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18235 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18236 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18249 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18250 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18251 over your shoulder as you read news.
18254 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18255 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18256 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18257 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18258 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18263 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18265 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18274 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18275 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18276 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18277 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18278 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18279 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18280 @code{GIF} formats.
18283 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18284 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18285 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18286 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18287 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18289 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18290 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18291 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18292 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18293 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18294 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18297 @node Picon Requirements
18298 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18300 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18301 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18304 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18305 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18306 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18308 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18309 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18310 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18311 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18312 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18316 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18318 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18319 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18322 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18323 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18326 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18327 containing the Picons databases.
18329 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18332 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18333 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18338 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18346 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18347 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18348 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18349 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18350 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18355 @item gnus-picons-database
18356 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18357 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18358 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18359 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18360 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18361 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18363 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18364 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18365 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18366 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18367 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18368 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18369 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18371 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18372 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18373 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18374 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18375 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18376 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18377 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18378 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18380 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18381 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18382 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18387 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18388 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18390 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18391 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18394 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18396 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18397 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18398 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18399 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18401 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18402 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18403 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18409 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18410 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18418 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18419 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18420 don't need to worry about.
18424 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18425 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18426 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18427 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18429 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18430 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18431 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18432 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18434 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18435 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18436 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18437 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18438 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18440 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18441 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18442 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18443 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18444 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18445 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18446 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18448 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18449 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18450 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18451 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18453 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18454 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18455 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18456 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18457 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18458 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18459 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18461 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18462 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18463 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18464 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18466 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18467 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18468 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18469 Defaults to @code{t}.
18471 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18472 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18473 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18474 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18476 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18477 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18478 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18480 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18481 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18482 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18483 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18485 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18486 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18488 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18489 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18490 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18491 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18492 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18493 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18494 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18495 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18506 @subsection Smileys
18511 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18516 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18517 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18519 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18520 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18523 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18526 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18527 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18528 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18529 text and maps that to file names.
18531 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18532 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18533 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18534 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18535 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18536 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18538 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18539 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18541 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18542 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18543 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18545 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18546 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18550 @item smiley-data-directory
18551 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18552 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18554 @item smiley-flesh-color
18555 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18556 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18558 @item smiley-features-color
18559 @vindex smiley-features-color
18560 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18562 @item smiley-tongue-color
18563 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18564 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18566 @item smiley-circle-color
18567 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18568 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18570 @item smiley-mouse-face
18571 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18572 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18578 @subsection Toolbar
18588 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18589 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18590 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18591 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18592 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18594 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18595 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18596 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18598 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18599 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18600 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18602 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18603 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18604 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18610 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18613 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18614 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18615 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18616 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18617 unusual directory structure.
18619 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18620 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18621 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18622 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18624 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18625 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18626 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18627 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18628 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18629 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18631 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18632 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18633 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18647 @node Fuzzy Matching
18648 @section Fuzzy Matching
18649 @cindex fuzzy matching
18651 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18652 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18654 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18655 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18656 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18658 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18659 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18660 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18661 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18662 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18665 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18666 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18670 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18672 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18673 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18674 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18675 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18676 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18677 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18678 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18679 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18682 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18683 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18684 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18685 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18686 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18687 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18691 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18692 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18694 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18695 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18696 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18697 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18698 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18699 part of the mail address.)
18702 (setq message-default-news-headers
18703 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18706 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18707 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18712 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18713 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18714 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18720 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18721 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18722 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18723 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18725 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18726 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18727 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18728 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18729 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18730 your fancy split rule in this way:
18735 (to "larsi" "misc")
18739 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18740 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18741 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18742 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18743 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18745 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18746 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18747 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
18748 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18749 cosmic balance somewhat.
18751 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18752 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18753 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18754 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18757 @node Various Various
18758 @section Various Various
18764 @item gnus-home-directory
18765 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18766 defaults to @file{~/}.
18768 @item gnus-directory
18769 @vindex gnus-directory
18770 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18771 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18772 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18774 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18775 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18776 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18777 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18779 @item gnus-default-directory
18780 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18781 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18782 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18783 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18784 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18785 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18786 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18789 @vindex gnus-verbose
18790 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18791 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18792 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18793 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18794 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18796 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18797 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18798 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18799 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18801 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18802 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18803 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18804 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18805 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18806 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18807 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18808 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18809 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18810 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18812 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18813 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18814 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18815 read when doing the operation described above.
18817 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18818 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18820 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18821 @cindex characters in file names
18822 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
18823 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
18824 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
18827 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18831 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
18832 Windows (phooey) systems.
18834 @item gnus-hidden-properties
18835 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
18836 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
18837 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
18838 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
18840 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
18841 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
18842 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
18843 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
18844 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
18846 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
18847 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
18848 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
18850 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18851 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18853 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
18854 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
18855 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
18856 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
18859 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
18868 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
18869 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
18871 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
18873 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
18879 Not because of victories @*
18882 but for the common sunshine,@*
18884 the largess of the spring.
18888 but for the day's work done@*
18889 as well as I was able;@*
18890 not for a seat upon the dais@*
18891 but at the common table.@*
18896 @chapter Appendices
18899 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
18900 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
18901 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
18902 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
18903 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
18904 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
18905 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
18906 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
18914 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
18915 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
18917 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
18918 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
18919 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
18920 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
18921 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
18923 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
18924 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
18925 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
18926 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
18927 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
18928 appropriate name, don't you think?)
18930 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
18931 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
18932 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
18933 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
18936 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
18937 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
18938 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
18939 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
18940 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
18941 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
18942 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
18943 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
18944 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
18948 @node Gnus Versions
18949 @subsection Gnus Versions
18950 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
18952 @cindex September Gnus
18953 @cindex Quassia Gnus
18955 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
18956 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
18957 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
18959 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
18960 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
18962 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
18963 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
18965 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
18966 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
18968 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
18969 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
18972 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
18974 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
18975 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
18976 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
18977 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
18978 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
18979 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
18982 @node Other Gnus Versions
18983 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
18986 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
18987 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
18988 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
18989 @sc{mime} capabilities.
18991 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
18992 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
18993 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
18994 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19001 What's the point of Gnus?
19003 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19004 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19005 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19006 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19007 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19008 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19009 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19010 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19011 keep track of millions of people who post?
19013 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19014 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19015 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19016 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19017 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19018 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19019 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19020 every one of you to explore and invent.
19022 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19023 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19026 @node Compatibility
19027 @subsection Compatibility
19029 @cindex compatibility
19030 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19031 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19032 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19037 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19041 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19044 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19047 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19048 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19049 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19050 important variables have their values copied into their global
19051 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19052 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19054 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19055 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19056 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19057 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19058 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19062 @cindex highlighting
19063 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19064 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19065 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19066 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19067 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19068 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19071 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19072 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19073 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19074 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19076 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19077 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19078 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19079 to stop doing it the old way.
19081 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19083 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19085 @cindex reporting bugs
19087 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19088 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19089 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19091 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19092 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19093 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19094 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19099 @subsection Conformity
19101 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19102 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19109 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19113 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19115 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19116 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19117 We do have some breaches to this one.
19123 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19124 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19125 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19126 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19127 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19132 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19133 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19134 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19135 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19139 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19140 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19145 @subsection Emacsen
19151 Gnus should work on :
19159 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
19163 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19164 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19165 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
19166 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
19167 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
19169 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19170 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19171 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19175 @node Gnus Development
19176 @subsection Gnus Development
19178 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19179 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19180 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19181 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19182 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19183 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19184 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19185 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19187 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19188 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19189 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19190 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19191 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19194 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19195 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19196 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19197 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19198 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19200 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19201 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19202 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19203 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19204 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19205 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19206 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19207 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19208 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19209 can't be assumed to do so.
19214 @subsection Contributors
19215 @cindex contributors
19217 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19218 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19219 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19220 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19221 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19222 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19223 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19224 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19225 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19226 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19228 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19234 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19237 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19238 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19239 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19240 functionality and stuff.
19243 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19244 well as numerous other things).
19247 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19250 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19253 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19256 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19257 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19260 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19263 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19264 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19267 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19270 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19273 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19276 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19279 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19280 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19283 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19286 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19289 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19292 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19296 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19299 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19302 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19305 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19306 well as autoconf support.
19310 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19311 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19313 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19322 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19326 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19336 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19351 Massimo Campostrini,
19356 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19357 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19361 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19364 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19370 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19375 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19379 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19387 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19389 Michelangelo Grigni,
19393 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19395 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19397 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19404 François Felix Ingrand,
19405 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19406 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19408 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19419 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19420 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19422 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19423 Thor Kristoffersen,
19426 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19444 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19445 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19452 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19457 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19461 John McClary Prevost,
19467 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19472 Christian von Roques,
19475 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19482 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19484 Randal L. Schwartz,
19498 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19503 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19519 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19524 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19525 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19526 (550kB and counting).
19528 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19531 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19532 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19536 @subsection New Features
19537 @cindex new features
19540 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19541 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19542 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19543 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19544 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19547 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19548 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19549 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19552 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19554 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19559 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19560 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19563 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19564 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19567 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19570 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19571 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19572 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19575 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19576 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19577 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19578 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19581 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19582 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19585 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19586 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19587 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19590 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19591 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19594 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19595 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19596 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19599 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19600 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19601 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19604 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19605 the @file{.emacs} file.
19608 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19609 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19612 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19613 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19616 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19617 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19620 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19621 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19624 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19625 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19628 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19631 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19632 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19635 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19636 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19639 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19640 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19643 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19646 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19647 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19650 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19654 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19658 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19659 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19662 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19668 @node September Gnus
19669 @subsubsection September Gnus
19673 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19677 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19682 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19683 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19687 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19688 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19692 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19696 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19697 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19700 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19704 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19707 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19710 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19713 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19717 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19718 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19721 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19725 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19729 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19733 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19737 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19740 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19741 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19744 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19748 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19749 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19752 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19755 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19756 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19757 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19760 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19764 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19767 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19771 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19772 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19775 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19776 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19779 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19780 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19783 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19784 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19785 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19788 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19789 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19792 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19795 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19798 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19801 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19804 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19805 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19808 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19812 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19815 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19820 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
19823 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
19827 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19830 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
19834 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
19837 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
19840 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
19841 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19844 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
19845 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
19849 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
19850 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
19853 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
19857 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
19858 buffer to allow easier treatment.
19861 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
19864 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
19868 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
19872 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
19873 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
19876 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
19880 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
19881 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19884 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
19885 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19888 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
19892 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19895 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
19898 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
19904 @subsubsection Red Gnus
19906 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
19910 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
19917 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
19920 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
19921 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19924 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
19925 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
19929 Article washing status can be displayed in the
19930 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
19933 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
19936 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
19937 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
19940 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
19944 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
19945 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
19949 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
19950 Server Internals}).
19953 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
19957 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
19960 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
19961 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
19964 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
19965 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
19966 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
19969 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
19970 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19973 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
19974 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
19977 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
19981 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
19982 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19985 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
19986 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19989 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
19993 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
19996 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20000 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20001 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20004 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20005 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20008 A new command for reading collections of documents
20009 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20010 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20013 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20017 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20018 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20021 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20022 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20023 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20026 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20027 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20031 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20035 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20039 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20044 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20048 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20052 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20053 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20056 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20062 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20064 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20069 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20070 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20071 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20074 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20075 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20076 group, which is created automatically.
20079 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20083 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20086 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20087 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20090 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20094 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20097 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20098 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20101 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20104 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20105 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20108 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20109 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20112 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20113 control over simplification.
20116 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20119 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20123 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20126 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20129 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20130 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20131 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20134 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20135 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20138 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20142 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20143 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20146 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20147 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20150 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20154 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20157 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20160 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20161 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20164 A new function for citing in Message has been
20165 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20168 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20171 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20175 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20176 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20179 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20180 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20183 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20186 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20190 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20191 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20193 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20197 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20198 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20200 If you used procmail like in
20203 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20204 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20205 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20206 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20209 this now has changed to
20213 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20217 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20218 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20220 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20221 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20223 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20224 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20226 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20227 called to position point.
20229 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20230 summary buffers and NOV files.
20232 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20233 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20235 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20236 subtly different manner.
20238 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20239 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20240 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20242 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20250 @section The Manual
20254 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20255 either @code{texi2dvi}
20257 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20258 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20260 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20262 The following conventions have been used:
20267 This is a @samp{string}
20270 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20273 This is a @file{file}
20276 This is a @code{symbol}
20280 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20284 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20287 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20290 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20293 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20294 ever get them confused.
20298 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20299 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20300 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20301 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20302 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20303 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20304 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20310 @node On Writing Manuals
20311 @section On Writing Manuals
20313 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20314 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20315 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20316 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20317 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20318 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20321 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20322 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20323 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20326 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20327 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20332 @section Terminology
20334 @cindex terminology
20339 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20340 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20341 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20342 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20343 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20347 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20348 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20349 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20350 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20354 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20358 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20363 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20364 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20365 is all done by the backends.
20369 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20370 default, way of getting news.
20374 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20375 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20380 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20381 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20385 A message that has been posted as news.
20388 @cindex mail message
20389 A message that has been mailed.
20393 A mail message or news article
20397 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20402 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20407 A line from the head of an article.
20411 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20412 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20416 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20417 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20418 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20419 normal @sc{head} format.
20423 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20424 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20425 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20426 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20427 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20428 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20430 @item killed groups
20431 @cindex killed groups
20432 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20433 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20435 @item zombie groups
20436 @cindex zombie groups
20437 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20440 @cindex active file
20441 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20442 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20443 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20446 @cindex bogus groups
20447 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20448 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20449 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20452 @cindex activating groups
20453 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20454 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20455 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20459 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20461 @item select method
20462 @cindex select method
20463 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20466 @item virtual server
20467 @cindex virtual server
20468 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20469 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20470 whole is a virtual server.
20474 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20475 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20478 @item ephemeral groups
20479 @cindex ephemeral groups
20480 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20481 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20482 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20485 @cindex solid groups
20486 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20487 group buffer are solid groups.
20489 @item sparse articles
20490 @cindex sparse articles
20491 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20492 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20496 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20497 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20501 @cindex thread root
20502 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20503 articles in the thread.
20507 An article that has responses.
20511 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20515 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20516 specified by RFC 1153.
20522 @node Customization
20523 @section Customization
20524 @cindex general customization
20526 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20527 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20528 for some quite common situations.
20531 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20532 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20533 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20534 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20538 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20539 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20541 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20542 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20543 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20547 @item gnus-read-active-file
20548 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20549 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20550 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20551 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20552 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20554 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20555 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20556 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20557 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20561 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20562 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20564 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20565 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20566 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20570 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20571 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20572 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20573 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20574 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20576 @item gnus-visible-headers
20577 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20578 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20579 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20580 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20582 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20584 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20585 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20586 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20589 @item gnus-use-full-window
20590 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20591 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20592 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20593 want to read them anyway.
20595 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20596 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20599 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20600 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20601 lines, which might save some time.
20605 @node Little Disk Space
20606 @subsection Little Disk Space
20609 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20610 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20614 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20615 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20616 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20617 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20620 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20621 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20622 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20623 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20626 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20627 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20628 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20629 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20630 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20636 @subsection Slow Machine
20637 @cindex slow machine
20639 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20640 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20642 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20643 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20645 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20646 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20647 summary buffer faster.
20651 @node Troubleshooting
20652 @section Troubleshooting
20653 @cindex troubleshooting
20655 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20663 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20666 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20667 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20671 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20672 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
20673 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
20674 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
20675 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20678 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20682 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20683 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20684 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20685 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20686 something like that.
20689 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20692 @cindex reporting bugs
20694 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20696 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20697 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20698 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20699 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20701 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20702 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20703 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20704 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20707 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20708 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20709 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20710 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20711 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20712 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20714 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20715 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20716 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20719 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20720 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20722 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20723 @cindex ding mailing list
20724 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20725 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20729 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20730 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20732 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20733 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20734 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20735 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20738 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20739 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20740 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20741 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20742 and general methods of operation.
20745 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20746 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20747 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20748 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20749 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20750 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20751 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20752 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20753 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20757 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20758 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20759 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20760 @cindex utility functions
20762 @cindex internal variables
20764 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20765 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20766 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20770 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20771 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20772 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20774 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20775 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20776 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20778 @item gnus-group-real-name
20779 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20780 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20783 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20784 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20785 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20786 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20788 @item gnus-get-info
20789 @findex gnus-get-info
20790 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20792 @item gnus-group-unread
20793 @findex gnus-group-unread
20794 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20798 @findex gnus-active
20799 The active entry for @var{group}.
20801 @item gnus-set-active
20802 @findex gnus-set-active
20803 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20805 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20806 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20807 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20810 @item gnus-continuum-version
20811 @findex gnus-continuum-version
20812 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
20813 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
20816 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
20817 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
20818 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
20820 @item gnus-news-group-p
20821 @findex gnus-news-group-p
20822 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
20824 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20825 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20826 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
20828 @item gnus-server-to-method
20829 @findex gnus-server-to-method
20830 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
20832 @item gnus-server-equal
20833 @findex gnus-server-equal
20834 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
20836 @item gnus-group-native-p
20837 @findex gnus-group-native-p
20838 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
20840 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
20841 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
20842 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
20844 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
20845 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
20846 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
20848 @item group-group-find-parameter
20849 @findex group-group-find-parameter
20850 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
20851 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
20853 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
20854 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
20855 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
20857 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
20858 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
20859 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
20861 @item gnus-check-backend-function
20862 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
20863 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
20864 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
20867 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
20871 @item gnus-read-method
20872 @findex gnus-read-method
20873 Prompts the user for a select method.
20878 @node Backend Interface
20879 @subsection Backend Interface
20881 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
20882 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
20883 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
20884 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
20885 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
20886 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
20888 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
20889 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
20890 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
20891 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
20892 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
20893 been opened, the function should fail.
20895 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
20896 name. Take this example:
20900 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
20901 (nntp-port-number 4324))
20904 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
20905 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
20907 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
20908 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
20909 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
20911 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
20912 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
20913 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
20915 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
20916 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
20917 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
20918 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
20919 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
20920 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
20923 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
20924 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
20925 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
20926 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
20929 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
20932 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
20935 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
20936 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
20937 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
20938 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
20939 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
20940 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
20944 @node Required Backend Functions
20945 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
20949 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
20951 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
20952 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
20953 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
20954 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
20956 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
20957 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
20958 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
20959 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
20961 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
20962 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
20963 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
20964 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
20965 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
20966 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
20967 number, do maximum fetches.
20969 Here's an example HEAD:
20972 221 1056 Article retrieved.
20973 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
20974 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
20975 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
20976 Subject: Re: Something very droll
20977 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
20978 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
20980 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
20981 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
20982 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
20986 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
20987 these in the data buffer.
20989 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
20993 head = error / valid-head
20994 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
20995 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
20996 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
20997 header = <text> eol
21000 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21001 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21005 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21006 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21007 field = <text except TAB>
21010 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21014 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21016 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21017 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21019 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21020 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21021 server. In fact, it should do so.
21023 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21024 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21027 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21029 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21030 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21033 There should be no data returned.
21036 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21038 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21039 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21040 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21041 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21043 There should be no data returned.
21046 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21048 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21049 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21050 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21051 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21053 There should be no data returned.
21056 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21058 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21060 There should be no data returned.
21063 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21065 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21066 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21067 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21068 it would be nice if that were possible.
21070 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21071 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21072 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21073 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21074 into its article buffer.
21076 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21077 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21078 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21079 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21080 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21081 on successful article retrieval.
21084 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21086 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21087 making @var{group} the current group.
21089 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21092 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21095 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21098 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21099 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21100 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21101 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21102 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21103 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21104 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21105 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21108 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21109 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21110 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21114 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21116 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21117 a no-op on most backends.
21119 There should be no data returned.
21122 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21124 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21127 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21130 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21131 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21134 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21135 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21138 active-file = *active-line
21139 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21141 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21144 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21145 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21146 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21149 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21151 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21152 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21153 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21154 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21155 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21156 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21158 There should be no result data from this function.
21163 @node Optional Backend Functions
21164 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21168 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21170 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21171 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21172 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21174 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21175 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21176 former is in the same format as the data from
21177 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21178 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21181 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21185 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21187 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21188 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21189 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21190 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21191 should return the (altered) group info.
21193 There should be no result data from this function.
21196 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21198 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21199 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21200 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21201 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21202 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21203 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21204 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21205 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21207 There should be no result data from this function.
21210 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21212 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21213 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21214 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21215 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21216 propagate the mark information to the server.
21218 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21221 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21224 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
21225 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21226 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21227 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21228 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21229 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21230 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21231 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21232 not limit itself to these.
21234 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21235 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21236 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21237 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21239 An example action list:
21242 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21243 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21244 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21247 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21248 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21250 There should be no result data from this function.
21252 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21254 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21255 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21256 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21257 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21258 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21260 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21261 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21262 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21265 There should be no result data from this function.
21268 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21270 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21271 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21272 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21273 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21274 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21275 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21276 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21278 There should be no result data from this function.
21281 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21283 The result data from this function should be a description of
21287 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21289 description = <text>
21292 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21294 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21295 groups available on the server.
21298 description-buffer = *description-line
21302 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21304 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21305 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21306 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21309 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21311 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21313 There should be no return data.
21316 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21318 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21319 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21320 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21321 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21322 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21325 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21328 There should be no result data returned.
21331 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21334 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21335 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21337 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21338 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21339 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21340 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21341 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21342 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21344 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21345 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21348 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21349 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21351 There should be no data returned.
21354 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21356 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21357 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21358 this function in short order.
21360 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21361 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21363 There should be no data returned.
21366 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21368 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21369 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21371 There should be no data returned.
21374 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21376 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21377 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21378 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21380 There should be no data returned.
21383 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21385 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21386 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21388 There should be no data returned.
21393 @node Error Messaging
21394 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21396 @findex nnheader-report
21397 @findex nnheader-get-report
21398 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21399 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21400 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21401 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21402 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21403 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21406 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21408 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21411 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21412 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21413 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21414 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21416 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21417 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21418 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21421 @node Writing New Backends
21422 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21424 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21425 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21426 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21427 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21428 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21431 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21432 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21433 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21435 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21436 package called @code{nnoo}.
21438 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21439 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21445 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21446 parameters. For instance:
21449 (nnoo-declare nndir
21453 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21454 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21457 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21458 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21459 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21461 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21462 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21463 a function in those backends.
21466 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21467 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21468 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21471 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21472 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21473 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21475 @item nnoo-define-basics
21476 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21480 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21484 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21485 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21486 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21488 @item nnoo-map-functions
21489 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21490 functions from the parent backends.
21493 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21494 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21495 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21498 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21499 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21500 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21501 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21504 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21505 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21506 haven't already been defined.
21512 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21516 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21517 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21518 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21523 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21526 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21527 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21531 (require 'nnheader)
21535 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21537 (nnoo-declare nndir
21540 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21541 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21542 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21544 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21545 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21548 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21549 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21550 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21552 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21553 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21555 ;;; Interface functions.
21557 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21559 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21560 (setq nndir-directory
21561 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21563 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21564 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21565 (push `(nndir-current-group
21566 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21568 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21569 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21571 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21573 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21574 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21575 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21576 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21577 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21581 nnmh-status-message
21583 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21589 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21590 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21592 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21593 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21594 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21595 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21597 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21598 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21603 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21606 The abilities can be:
21610 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21612 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21614 This backend supports both mail and news.
21616 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21619 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21620 articles and groups.
21622 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21623 true for almost all backends.
21624 @item prompt-address
21625 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21626 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21627 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21631 @node Mail-like Backends
21632 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21634 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21635 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21636 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21637 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21640 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21641 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21642 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21645 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21646 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21649 This function takes four parameters.
21653 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21656 @item exit-function
21657 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21659 @item temp-directory
21660 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21663 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21664 performed for one group only.
21667 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21668 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21669 find the article number assigned to this article.
21671 The function also uses the following variables:
21672 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21673 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21674 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21675 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21679 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21680 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21684 @node Score File Syntax
21685 @subsection Score File Syntax
21687 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21688 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21689 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21691 Here's a typical score file:
21695 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21702 BNF definition of a score file:
21705 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21706 element = rule / atom
21707 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21708 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21709 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21710 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21712 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21713 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21714 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21715 date-header = "date"
21716 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21717 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21718 score = "nil" / <integer>
21719 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21720 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21721 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21722 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21723 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21724 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21725 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21726 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21727 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21728 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21729 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21730 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21731 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21732 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21733 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21734 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21735 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21736 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21737 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21738 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21739 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21740 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21741 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21742 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21743 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21744 eval = "eval" space <form>
21745 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21748 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21751 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21752 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21753 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21754 one looong line, then that's ok.
21756 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21757 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21761 @subsection Headers
21763 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21764 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21765 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21766 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21768 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21769 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21770 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21771 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21772 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21773 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21774 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21776 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21777 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21778 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21779 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21780 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21782 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21783 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21789 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21790 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21792 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21793 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21794 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21795 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21797 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21801 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21804 is transformed into
21807 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
21810 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
21811 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
21814 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
21817 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
21818 is slightly tricky:
21821 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
21827 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
21830 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
21836 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
21843 and is equal to the previous range.
21845 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
21846 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
21847 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
21851 range = simple-range / normal-range
21852 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
21853 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
21854 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
21855 number *[ " " contents ]
21858 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
21859 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
21860 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
21861 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
21862 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
21867 @subsection Group Info
21869 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
21870 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
21871 describes the group.
21873 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
21874 second is a more complex one:
21877 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
21879 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
21880 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
21882 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
21885 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
21886 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
21887 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
21888 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
21889 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
21890 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
21891 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
21892 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
21893 this section is about.
21895 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
21896 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
21897 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
21899 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
21902 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
21903 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
21904 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21905 group = quote <string> quote
21906 ralevel = rank / level
21907 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21908 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
21909 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21911 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
21912 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
21913 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
21914 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
21917 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
21918 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
21921 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
21922 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
21925 @item gnus-info-group
21926 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
21927 @findex gnus-info-group
21928 @findex gnus-info-set-group
21929 Get/set the group name.
21931 @item gnus-info-rank
21932 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
21933 @findex gnus-info-rank
21934 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
21935 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
21937 @item gnus-info-level
21938 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
21939 @findex gnus-info-level
21940 @findex gnus-info-set-level
21941 Get/set the group level.
21943 @item gnus-info-score
21944 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
21945 @findex gnus-info-score
21946 @findex gnus-info-set-score
21947 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
21949 @item gnus-info-read
21950 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
21951 @findex gnus-info-read
21952 @findex gnus-info-set-read
21953 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
21955 @item gnus-info-marks
21956 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
21957 @findex gnus-info-marks
21958 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
21959 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
21961 @item gnus-info-method
21962 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
21963 @findex gnus-info-method
21964 @findex gnus-info-set-method
21965 Get/set the group select method.
21967 @item gnus-info-params
21968 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
21969 @findex gnus-info-params
21970 @findex gnus-info-set-params
21971 Get/set the group parameters.
21974 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
21975 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
21977 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
21978 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
21979 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
21980 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
21983 @node Extended Interactive
21984 @subsection Extended Interactive
21985 @cindex interactive
21986 @findex gnus-interactive
21988 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
21989 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
21990 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
21993 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
21994 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
21999 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22000 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22001 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22002 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22003 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22004 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22005 @code{interactive}.
22007 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22012 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22013 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22017 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22018 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22019 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22022 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22026 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22030 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22036 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22037 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22041 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22042 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22043 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22045 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22046 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22047 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22048 Gnus, that's very useful.
22050 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22051 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22052 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22053 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22054 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22055 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22056 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22057 following function:
22060 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22064 (,function ,@@args))
22068 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22069 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22070 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22073 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22074 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22075 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22077 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22078 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22079 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22082 @node Various File Formats
22083 @subsection Various File Formats
22086 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22087 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22091 @node Active File Format
22092 @subsubsection Active File Format
22094 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22095 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22098 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22101 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22102 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22103 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22104 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22105 no.general 1000 900 y
22108 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22111 active = *group-line
22112 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
22113 group = <non-white-space string>
22115 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22116 low-number = <positive integer>
22117 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22120 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22121 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22124 @node Newsgroups File Format
22125 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22127 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22128 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22129 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22132 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22133 Here's the definition:
22137 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22138 group = <non-white-space string>
22140 description = <string>
22145 @node Emacs for Heathens
22146 @section Emacs for Heathens
22148 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22149 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22150 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22151 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22152 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22153 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22154 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22158 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22159 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22164 @subsection Keystrokes
22168 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22171 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22174 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22175 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22176 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22177 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22178 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22179 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22181 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22182 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22183 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22184 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22185 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22186 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22187 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22189 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22190 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22191 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22192 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22193 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22194 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22195 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22197 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22198 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22199 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22200 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22201 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22207 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22209 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22210 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22211 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22212 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22214 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22215 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22216 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22217 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22218 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22219 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22220 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22223 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22224 write the following:
22227 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22230 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22231 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22232 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22235 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22236 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22237 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22238 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22239 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22241 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22242 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22243 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22247 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22251 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22254 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22255 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22258 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22261 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22262 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22265 @include gnus-faq.texi
22286 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22287 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22288 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22289 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22290 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref